After two years of raw sewage, threats, and living with a dug-up sewer line, a Ninth Ward family has finally received a commitment from the city to fix a problem they say the city created.
Tiffany and Thomas Smith, who have lived in their Overlook Drive home for 21 years, addressed Akron City Council this week in an emotional plea for help. Tiffany Smith, a former county probation officer, detailed a saga that began in February 2023 when a city-owned tree’s roots infiltrated their century-old clay sewer line.
“I have been shunned, humiliated, embarrassed, and bullied by the sewer and maintenance department for over two years,” Tiffany Smith stated in her public testimony. “I am in imminent jeopardy of losing our home of 21 years.”
According to Smith’s account and a subsequent FOX 8 News report, the city’s Sewer Department, led by Deputy Director Jimmy Aiken and Supervisor Tom Miller, responded to the initial backup. After two drain companies failed to clear it, a third company, Superior Drain, was directed to jet the line despite warnings from some workers that the high pressure could burst the old pipes.
Minutes later, Smith described, “water erupted from underground like a volcano,” busting the line and flooding her garage and basement with an estimated 100 gallons of sewage.
A contractor, Kenmore Construction, was called to excavate and repair the line but left the job after a dispute with the city over liability, leaving a trench open on the Smiths’ property.
What followed, Smith says, was a campaign of harassment. The city’s law office, via attorneys Jason Klein and Chris Luttle, sent a cease-and-desist letter to stop her inquiries. She was later presented with a $30,000 bill to finish the repairs, with threats to add it to her property taxes or shut off her water by January 16 if she didn’t comply.
“For two years my kids cannot have company,” Smith said, breaking down. “We have used plastic bags to dispose of tissue… In the midst of this, my daughter started her menstrual cycle.”
The family’s plight shifted dramatically after their public testimony and media exposure. On Thursday, Mayor Shammas Malik issued a statement:
“In the interest of resolving this situation that has been going on for more than two years, and because the city initially attempted to make repairs, the city is now planning to cover the cost of the replacement of the line.”
A meeting was held on Friday with the mayor, Ward 9 Council Member Tina Boyes, city lawyers, and the Smiths’ attorney, Imokhai Okolo.
“The city has made a commitment to paying for fixing what has been happening,” Okolo confirmed.
He noted the repair is complex, as the Smiths’ sewer line runs over 200 feet down a hill to connect with a neighbor’s, making it one of the longest private sewer lines in the city.
While logistical details are being worked out, the Smiths believe public accountability forced the city’s hand. In the meantime, a GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support the family.
“When the light shines on the dark, that’s when you are going to get action,” Tiffany Smith said. “This isn’t just for me and my family. This is for all of the people who have been wronged.”
The city has not publicly addressed the specific allegations of bullying and harassment made by Smith against named employees. Repairs to internal home damage from the sewage backup remain a separate issue.
