City of Alton named in suit over sewage back-up

A woman claims she incurred repair costs when sewage backed up through her plumbing and into her home.

Coena Royal filed a lawsuit May 12 in the Madison County Circuit Court against the city of Alton and the Alton Department of Public Works.

In her complaint, Royal alleges she was living at 2227 Marquette Drive in Alton on June 9, when there was a blockage in the sewer system.

The sewer system backed up and raw sewage back flowed through the sewer system into the basement of the plaintiff’s home, the suit states.

Because of the incident, Royal endured discomfort and annoyance, incurred cleaning and sanitization costs and suffered damages to her personal property, the complaint says. She also claims she suffered depreciation in the market value of her home and has been denied the comfortable use of her property.

Royal blames Alton for causing her damages, saying it negligently failed to operate the sewer system in a safe manner, failed to maintain the sewer system in a reasonable manner, failed to inspect the sewer system, failed to refurbish the sewer system and failed to respond to Royal’s complaints of a sewer back up in a timely fashion.

Royal is seeking a judgment of more than $150,000, plus damages, costs and other relief the court deems just. She is being represented by Susan F. Grammer of The Law Office of Susan F. Grammer in East Alton.

Madison County Circuit Court case number 14-L-705.