Residents took a look at the results of a study done to help those in South Bend who are dealing with sewage backflow during heavy rains.

A meeting was held Monday night to reveal the results of the study with the city council and public.

“I'm a scientist and I got the water in my basement tested,” said one resident of the Northshore Triangle during Monday night's meeting.

“It had E. coli levels that were high enough to shut down, beyond shut down beaches," she added. "They were, if I recall correctly, about 20 times higher than what the limit would be for safe water.”

“If it's ground water, it's one thing,” said resident Dawn Hopkins. “If it's sewage, it's another.”

It's been a constant struggle for people living in the Northshore Triangle, Keller Park, and other areas along Riverside Drive.

That's why consulting engineers did research and presented several recommendations.

For the city, they recommend an evaluation of the current design criteria for determining sewer capacity and storm water storage.

They also said the city should continue to offer the basement valve program and research the possibility of a notification system to help people during floods.

For homeowners, they recommend addressing basement cracks, disconnecting downspouts, having service lines inspected and cleaned if dealing with frequent sewer backup, and installing basement valves.

However, some homeowners say the valves aren't a solution.

“I would not have spent my money on a backflow valve if I had known I'd be doing the same thing 18 months later,” said Hopkins during the meeting.

The answers aren't clear, but some people left the meeting with hope for a solution.

“I think people came away feeling that the city's going to try and work on this issue,” said Barbara Sutton, president of the Northshore Triangle. “All in all, I think it was a very positive meeting.”

The city will review the recommendations, estimate the costs for adapting the solutions, and factor them into the budget for 2019.