Sewage disaster leaves over 700 gallons of human feces in Kingston woman’s home
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Posted: 2:09 PM Jun 16, 2008
Sewage disaster leaves over 700 gallons of human feces in Kingston woman’s home
KINGSTON, OK -- A Kingston woman came home earlier this week to see personal belongings buried in inches of raw sewage. It sounds like a bizarre nightmare, but that scenario is a sickening reality for one Marshall County woman.
Reporter: Robin Beal
Email Address: robin.beal@kxii.com
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KINGSTON, Okla. -- A Kingston woman came home earlier this week to see personal belongings buried in inches of raw sewage. It sounds like a bizarre nightmare, but that scenario is a sickening reality for one Marshall County woman.

It is something you really have to see to believe. The stench coming from the home of Tonya Riley in Kingston is almost unbearable, even from several feet away.

Riley says she came home from work on Tuesday and knew something was terribly wrong before she even got inside. What she saw oozing down her hallway was inches of raw human waste.

Experts say it is the result of an apparent city sewer blockage.

"This was completely flooded with feces and water and pee, and of course I smelled it. When I came in and I called the city guys and it’s estimated at 786.24 gallons of human feces got backed up into my house," Riley says.

Ms. Riley is single and lives alone. Of course, she cannot live in her home now. She says her trailer has been condemned because there is no way to completely clean up the mess. City crews vacuumed away the worst of it, but it is likely inside the walls and floor ducts.

So how could this happen?

Nobody at Kingston City Hall would talk to us. The mayor would only say it’s still under investigation and public works officials never returned our calls.

Tonya’s homeowners insurance won’t cover sewage damage. Her agent wouldn't even sit down with us for an interview, but did have a tidbit of advice as we were leaving.

"Everybody should check their policies."

A local plumber say's he has seen this before only twice in 19 years, and while they are not required, he says a $45 attachment may have made all the difference.

"If you're installing a new house or something, there ought to be provisions, a backflow preventer to keep that from happening."

Tonya didn't have one on her home, but says the house next door does. It was installed after the same thing happened to her neighbors a few years back.

Tonya is now staying with her mom and has no idea what will become of her house. A hammock out back is the only thing that hasn't been tainted by the smell.


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