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Alex Cabrero Reporting A sewage line clogged, causing a big back-up that spilled from toilets and bathtubs in Holladay today. Several businesses and apartments had flooded basements.
The sewage line has been unclogged, but there's still some cleaning up to do in the businesses and apartments. The man who runs a CPA business noticed it first and called for help.
Lee Steiger: “I was happy I was here this morning. All of a sudden noticed there were four or five inches of water down there. There was a geyser sound, looked in the toilet. The toilet was just gushing water up."
Steiger runs his own certified public accounting firm so he rushed to get his clients’ papers out.
Lee Steiger; “Hard working CPA, ha ha ha.”
He wasn't the only one fighting the big stink in this Holladay neighborhood.
Remington Morris: “It was overflowing.”
Bathrooms, hallways and other rooms at the apartment complexes got sunk. Remington Morris says he just got home when his bathroom came to him.
Remington Morris, Holladay Resident: “Rooms are safe, but its gonna be an allday ordeal to get it cleaned up and stuff like that, so."
Firefighters and sanitation crews found out a clog in the sewer line was causing the back up. Crews were able to dig around and clear the debris before it got any worse. But two and a half hours of having it clogged did its damage.
Jay Torgersen, Unified Fire Authority: "We've got pumps running to try and get the water out of the businesses and residences."
In all, eight businesses and homes were affected. The assistance league of Salt Lake was another where some clothes were stored for needy children. Now they're ruined.
Valerie Mercer, Assistance League, Salt Lake City: “It’s coats, underwear, jeans, socks, everything for elementary kids.”
Still, it's a good thing business owners were around to get some items out or it could've been worse.
Lee Steiger: “I can’t imagine. It just would’ve been a total disaster.”
For those affected, it is a disaster, leaving lots of cleaning up to do, but at least the line has been unclogged.
