‘It’s not a living condition we should be in’: Tenants upset over sewage overflow at SE Harris County apartment complex

SEABROOK – For the past three days, renters at the Encore at the Bay Apartments in southeast Harris County say they’ve been dealing with sewage water overflowing in their apartments, the street, and into Clear Lake.

“This is sewer water,” Mike Hughes showed KPRC 2. “You see pieces of everything from the sewer.”

He said it all started on Friday when called the front office and maintenance and they came to clean it up. But, he said water just kept overflowing and the apartment maintenance and front desk stopped responding.

“I called the office twice,” Ralph Delavan said. “(I) got a text message back saying we are aware of the problem, we are working on it.”

For Delavan, who’s handicapped, he says the waste in the parking lot has made it more difficult for him to get around.

“Our toilets aren’t working, they won’t flush correctly. I’m afraid to take a shower,” he said. “It’s not a living condition we should be in. Period. Especially, with raw sewage going out into the parking lot.”

Both men were told the issue is related to an issue with the lift station. At the apartment complex on Monday, KPRC 2 crews saw Harris County Pollution Control on site.

A worker told KPRC 2 they were responding to complaints of sewage entering the apartments and the nearby lake.

“It’s like a sewage plant,” Hughes said. “It smells like a sewage plant.”

We reached out to the owners of the complex Radiance Living, and they said they apologize for the inconvenience and sent us the following statement:

“We were notified of the issue on Sunday and immediately contacted vendors to clear the obstructed plumbing. Our team is working expeditiously to restore full functionality and thoroughly clean the entire site. At present, pumping systems have been partially repaired and the lift station is draining, the grounds are being pressure washed and Liquid Waste Solutions will be cleaning the parking lot tomorrow. Our residents’ health and quality of life are our main priorities. We are in communication with residents and sincerely apologize for this inconvenience.” -Radiance Living