MOYOCK, N.C. (WAVY) — Frustrated is an understatement when it comes to the residents of Eagle Creek.

They are now on day 60 of dealing with sewer issues in the Moyock neighborhood.

10 On Your Side first reported on the issue back in early October. A downed vacuum station left hundreds of homes in Eagle Creek with smelly, soggy, sewage leaking into their homes. The initial problem persisted for weeks with no easy fix.

A Virginia Beach-based company owns the sewage system in Eagle Creek. A company called Envirolink manages it.

We spoke with Envirolink President Mike Myers, who explained his company was able to fix the downed vacuum. What they’re dealing with now are broken valves at individual homes. They handle the valves on a case by case basis. Myers says they get maintenance calls for broken valves, leading to sewer backups in Eagle Creek, every few days.

We asked Myers about a long-term fix for the problem. He said it would likely take an additional investment to replace susceptible sewage pits in low-lying areas. Myers believes replacing the pits would greatly cut down on the number of calls.

Envirolink’s maintenance trucks are now a staple in the neighborhood, constantly on the move, ready for whatever home’s system breaks next.

“The maintenance guys are terrific out here,” said resident Dean Burns. “They’re very kind. But they’re putting a band-aid on something that just cannot be fixed by a band-aid.”

Replacing the pits is up to the owners. Sandler Utilities couldn’t immediately be reached Wednesday for comment.

In the meantime, residents never know when their house will play host to a sewage back-up.

“Low and behold this morning I woke up about 5:30 and there’s the undeniable smell of raw sewage in your house,” explained Burns. “Something you’ll never know until you experience it.”

Stephanie Harlow’s home has backed up 22 times in the past 60 days.

“The system needs to be fixed not a band-aid,” said Harlow. “Not these little band-aids they’re doing today. Not the band-aids they did last week. Not the band-aids they did in October. The system needs to be fixed.” 

Harlow says the constant back-ups are damaging her home. Contractors estimate repairs related to the sewage and water damage will coast around $30,000. She brought the insurance claim to Sandler Utilities. They offered $1,700 to fix the damage, an offer Harlow calls unacceptable.

Residents unanimously worry how this affects their property values.

No one knows when this problem will be a thing of the past. As the holiday approaches, residents are praying they won’t have to wash their Thanksgiving dishes with a garden hose in the backyard.