CReW seeks properties with sewer/septic issues during floods

February 20, 2026  |  By Lisa Scagliotti

Waterbury’s long-term flood recovery organization CReW is looking to hear from property owners in the greater Waterbury area to find homes that have had the unfortunate experience of sewer or septic backups during recent floods. 

Community Resilience for the Waterbury Area (CReW) staff are hoping to learn more about this particular problem that may have contributed entirely or in part to flooding inside homes during floods in 2023 and 2024. CReW volunteers and staff had reports of homes with sewage backups through basement floor drains, laundry hookups and other low-level plumbing infrastructure.  

One solution for this issue is to install backwater valve devices that prevent backwater flow via wastewater lines when sewer systems get overwhelmed, explained CReW Executive Director Mike Dacey. 

Homeowners can fill out a short survey online at thecrewvt.org/backup-survey. The information collected will be used to explore options for ways that CReW can provide technical and/or financial assistance for homeowners. 

CReW serves Waterbury and the adjacent communities of Duxbury, Moretown, Bolton and Middlesex. Dacey said property owners in all of those locations are encouraged to fill out the survey. 

“Any home in the area that has had a backup is who we're looking for at this stage, so that we can get a handle on how widespread the issue is,” Dacey said.