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Henrico officials respond to Essex Village for sewage overflow

Posted at 7:21 PM, Jun 28, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-29 12:43:40-04

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- Henrico County officials came out to the Essex Village apartment complex Wednesday afternoon after an anonymous tip said there was a sewer overflow issue.

The Henrico Fire Department and the Public Utilities Department responded to the apartment complex.

The low-income housing complex has been the subject of an on-going CBS 6 investigation.

Residents have told CBS 6 that the company has not done enough to fix things like leaks, flood damage, sewage problems, structural issues, broken lights, and bug infestations.

The latest issue comes one day after Henrico County Deputy Manager Doug Middleton announced the county issued 11 criminal summonses against the owners of the apartment complex.

As far as Wednesday’s sewer overflow issue,  Middleton said the lines are the responsibility of the owners of Essex Village.

He told CBS 6 that the spill was causing a smell in the area. He added that residents' water system was not affected. It was strictly the sewer system.

Middleton said none of the tenants they spoke with had any problems inside of their units.

"It's strictly water right now and what we are looking at. There is no debris that could come through because the pipe is covered with a manhole cover, and it's seeping through the lid of the manhole cover,” said Middleton. “So, if there's any debris associated with it, it's staying inside the line, so that's one positive thing about it."

According to Middleton, no one is in danger, and there are currently no health issues within the apartments.

The only issue is that water was flowing out in the parking lot in front of the units. So far, management has called in a plumber and a cleanup company.

The county officials said they planned to stay on site until those contractors got to Essex Village and started working.

During the meeting Tuesday night, Henrico Board of Supervisors Chair Patricia O'Bannon said the board will take action and set up meetings with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in Washington.

By Caroline Coleburn/WTVR CBS 6 News Intern. 

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