Detroit to Pay $11M to Settle Water Damage Claims of 800 Residents

Months after two severe storms flooded basements on Detroit’s east side, the city’s water department has decided to pay the claims of all residents who aren’t suing it.

The Detroit Free Press reports that hundreds of homes were damaged during the July 8 flooding, which resulted in many basements flooded with smelly, brown water.

Detroit Water and Sewerage Department director Gary Brown says the department plans to settle with 800 people who filed claims and haven’t sued. The department expects to spend about $11 million.

Brown says the department will settle all the claims before January, no matter whose fault it is. He says the department isn’t waiting for the disposition of ongoing investigations being conducted by the Great Lakes Water Authority, which operates the system and the water department, which charges residents for water.