"Fewer basement backups:" That's the goal of pipe repair work being done in Shorewood

SHOREWOOD (WITI) -- It was July 23rd, 2010 when Shorewood residents experienced flooding like few, if any of them had ever seen. Seven inches of rain fell in just four hours. Since then, work that began more than 20 years ago has been on the fast track -- in order to help homeowners avoid basement backups.

"All that water just came down, and it was like a river! I've never seen it, you know. It came right up to above the door sills," Lars Nelson said.

While nothing could have prevented the water from backing up into basements as a result of that storm, Nelson says flooded homes weren't completely uncommon when far less rain would fall.

"Everyone was just like, 'Yeah, it happens in Shorewood. This place is rad, so yeah. We'll just kinda deal with it," Nelson said.

The flooding issue is something that's being dealt with in Shorewood.

"This is a major concern, because it could potentially cause some major backups," Shorewood Utility Foreman Scott Bohm said.

Bohm says repair work had started in 1992 on pipes that were installed more than seven decades ago. The repair work involves applying a liner to cover the cracks and protect the pipes -- for decades to come.

On Friday, August 8th, the repair work continued -- albeit at a faster pace, and with more funding than it had prior to the 2010 flooding.

"We've been able to significantly reduce what we refer to as inflow and infiltration," Shorewood's Director of Public Works, LeeAnn Butschlick.

Butschlick says this involves stopping water from leaking into the pipes from the ground, and poor connections.

"In easier language -- fewer basement backups," Butschlick said.

Butschlick says Shorewood's June 18th storm tested this repair work, and no basement backups were reported.

While there is still work to do, this is a clear indication that progress is being made.