Valparaiso investigating why businesses near The Linc development flooded after heavy rain

A failed bypass sewer pumping system for The Linc Apartments and Lincoln Highway Garage in downtown Valparaiso allowed heavy rain Monday morning to turn into a flood for nearby business owners.

Ivy Boutique, 204 Jefferson St., was one of a handful of businesses with water in its basement. Owner Dina Harper posted on Facebook that the flooding was the result of “a construction mishap” at the new development, which is one block south of her women’s clothing store.

The shop is expected to open after cleanup later this week.

The construction site also flooded, according to a Wednesday release from city officials.

As part of the construction of The Linc Apartments and Lincoln Highway Garage, the city developed plans for streetscape enhancements and upgrades to existing utility infrastructure, according to the city. The city’s contractor started work on July 8.

As part of the sewer improvements, bypass pumping was installed to ensure the current sewer system was operational during construction. During heavy rain on the morning of Aug. 5, the bypass pumping system failed to operate correctly, causing manholes to overflow and the flooding of the construction area and some neighboring properties.

“This should not have happened,” officials said in the release, adding city officials were “onsite immediately to help mitigate the flooding and damage.”

As required, the city contacted the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to report the overflow event. IDEM has conducted an onsite assessment.

The city has held multiple meetings with the contractor to evaluate the current bypass pumping plan and to better understand why the pumps failed and the city’s sewer system was compromised.

The city is also working with impacted property owners.