About a foot of water covers the basement of Lorenzo Brown’s home on Midler Avenue in Eastwood.

“The floor has to be totally removed, totally removed," Brown said. "I don’t know how long that it is going to take, but that’s an inconvenience in and of itself."

Unfortunately, it's not the first time he’s had this issue. He’s had his basement flooded three times in the last five years.

“We have to throw away pictures that are floating that were in boxes," Brown said. "It’s an emotional toll, but my biggest emotion is wondering why."

He’s not the only one. Neighbors have been complaining about flooding for years.

In August 2019, Brown and other Eastwood residents attended a public meeting to discuss problems with the city’s sewage system.

City engineers said they were looking to get funding to help resolve the issue, but nothing has been done.

“We don’t know of anybody that had this problem that had their areas rectified,” said Eastwood resident Pauline Tucci. “My neighbor on the other side had her sewer plunged out three or four times within a year. They said if it happens again, they are going to have to dig into the outside and get into the pipes underneath the ground.”

An invoice from the last plumber Brown hired for flooding service said the pipes outside his home are clay tile that have some offsets, meaning the pipes don’t line up correctly.

“I was never told or warned about water issues," Brown said. "Or I wouldn’t have bought the house. So is it a Loranzo issue, or is it a Syracuse Water Department issue? I just want answers as to why I’m continuously paying plumbers."

He believes the city’s old sewage system is the culprit and hopes to see improvements in the future. Until then, he’s sure his basement will flood again, he just doesn’t know when.

Spectrum News 1 has reached out to city of Syracuse about this issue and have not received a response.