FAIRBURN, Ga. — A Fairburn woman undergoing treatment for stage four blood cancer has been unable to live in her home for nearly six months after a massive sewage backup flooded the property, an incident she says was caused by contractors hired by the city.
Yvette Hicks told Channel 2’s Ashli Lincoln the ordeal began just days after she was diagnosed with cancer. Surveillance cameras captured sewage spilling into her yard and backing up into the home she has lived in for 17 years.
“The toilets were overflowing, and we went down and started dipping it out, not knowing what it was,” Hicks said.
Her doctor ordered her to leave immediately because of her compromised immune system, she said.
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“We couldn’t stay in the house. My doctor told me I had to immediately leave,” Hicks said.
Video recorded the flooding and the days that followed as Hicks and her family removed contaminated water from the home. Her daughter, Emily Phillips, described what they saw coming from the toilets.
“There were chunks of fecal matter, cigarettes, pads, wipes, tampons — everything,” Phillips said. “That’s when we realized this was not our sewage.”
Hicks hired a plumber, who discovered asphalt clogging her sewer line. She said the plumber told her the blockage was not on her property but in the city’s line.
“He went outside and immediately told me, ‘Miss Hicks, you need to call the city. It’s not in your line. It’s in the city’s line,’” Hicks said.
According to Hicks, an asphalt company contracted by the City of Fairburn crushed a sewage drain cover while working in the area, allowing asphalt to enter and clog the sewer system. Instead of flowing into the neighborhood’s storm system, Hicks said sewage backed up through her private line and into her home.
“I had to start fighting for my home,” she said.
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Hicks said the city paid for one week in a hotel and acknowledged responsibility for the incident but told her the contractor’s insurance company would handle repair costs.
Since then, Hicks said she has paid about $5,000 a month out of pocket for an Airbnb while her home undergoes repairs. Contractors have removed drywall and flooring, leaving the house gutted for months.
In total, she estimates she has spent nearly $30,000 on temporary housing and living expenses.
“It’s just been unbelievable,” Hicks said. “I’m still homeless. I’ll be 60 on the 27th of this month. This is not where I thought I would be.”
In a statement, the City of Fairburn said it is looking into the matter.
Triple R Paving, the asphalt company Hicks said was involved in the project, did not respond to a request for comment.
Hicks also said she has learned the state is looking into whether sewage runoff entered a nearby stormwater system.
For now, she remains displaced, waiting for repairs to be completed so she can safely return home.
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