Sewer Backup in St Ann, Missouri, Causes Widespread Home Damage, Pouring Hundreds of Gallons of Sewage into Homes.
Approximately 20 Homes Near 10821 Ridgecrest Drive Suffered Extensive Damage and Emotional Trauma After a Sewage Backup Incident on June 27, 2025.
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ST ANN, MO (STL.News) Sewer Backup — On Sunday, June 27, 2025, several residents of St Ann, Missouri, area woke up to a nasty surprise as hundreds of gallons of sewage water entered their homes, flooding multiple basements and causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage.
According to reports, American Water hired restoration companies to clean up the mess and allegedly accepted responsibility for the mistake. It is not clear what caused the sewage backup or who is to blame. The parties involved are MSD and American Water.
MSD manages the sewer system while American Water manages the water system.
While American Water denies responsibility, it did hire independent cleanup and restoration companies, such as Rainbow Restoration from Collinsville, IL, and SERVPRO, among others, to clean up a home at 10821 Ridgecrest Drive and surrounding homes in St Ann, Missouri.
STL.News contacted MSD and spoke with Sean Stone, who stated that a water main break had caused a flood in the sewer system, resulting in a sewage backup. However, in communication with homeowners, American Water stated that they were notified and turned off the water as requested. The cleanup was a service, but they were not admitting responsibility.
American Water never attempted to return our calls inquiring about the event.
The homeowners at 10821 Ridgecrest Drive confirmed that Rainbow Restoration cleaned up the mess by removing the sewage, cutting out the sheetrock walls affected by the sewage, and installing large fans to help dry out the basement. Still, after they completed the work, they were not authorized to replace the tear-out necessary to remediate the damage.
Who is responsible for replacing what was damaged during the cleanup? The homeowners did nothing wrong, and as it stands now, they are expected to spend thousands of dollars to correct the problem caused by either MSD or American Water, or both.
It is reported that approximately 22 homes were impacted by this unfortunate and disgusting event, but this number has not been confirmed.
The incident caused significant personal and financial damages, including, but not limited to:
- Structural damage to homes and basements
- Loss of essential appliances (furnaces, water heaters)
- Contaminated personal belongings and hazardous living conditions
- Emotional distress and significant disruption to daily life
The residents will be making a formal demand for accountability and full compensation for the damages caused by the sewer backup resulting from the water main break.
The homeowners are exploring their options to seek relief from the massive cost that is not their responsibility. They will likely file complaints with the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC), the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
We searched MSD, American Water, and the City of St Ann and found that no news has been posted regarding this incident. The blog on American Water appears to be entirely promotional and contains little content to help inform its customers.
Imagine waking up in the morning to find 12 to 24 inches of sewage in your basement, including urine, feces, nasty toilet paper, and other unsanitary items from your home. It’s not the start of a great day, but the start of a nightmare that nobody accepts responsibility for. Changes the definition of public service.
We attended a neighborhood meeting on July 19, 2025, at 6:00 pm to discuss options for resolving the situation. We witnessed homeowners who had lost their air conditioning, water heaters, personal belongings, sentimental items, childhood mementos, and more. The atmosphere was filled with confusion, anger, and a sense of betrayal, yet a team-like mission to come together and make each other whole, which local politicians support.
The meeting was attended by Rebekah Jimenez, Alderwoman for Ward 3, who supports the homeowners and is willing to fight on their behalf.
STL.News will continue following this developing story and provide updates as more information becomes available.
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