When Paul Renicks of 613 Terrace Ave. in Grove City awoke to a rainstorm at about 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 3, he stayed in bed for a little while because he didn't want to seem paranoid.

After four floods in his street and basement since July 6, he just didn't want to think it might happen again.

But one look out at the water in the street made him jump out of bed and get ready to deal with it again. In less than 20 minutes, the water was up to his garage.

Neighbor Joel Bigley of 611 Terrace woke up at the same time. By 4:50 a.m., despite a working sump pump, water was in his basement. He saw about four feet of water on the street.

Bigley and Renicks raked debris from the street drains so that water would start going down them. Borough workers also came out to help. The sump pump ran for almost two hours in Bigley's basement.

After five floods, Bigley worried about damage to his home's foundation. And it's not just water he gets in his basement.

"I'm getting sewage sludge, excrement," he said.

He and other neighbors showed up at the Grove City council meeting Monday to ask about the status of solving the problem on Terrace Avenue and for help with unpaid bills for flood damage.

Larry Vogt of 610 Terrace said he had $6,000 damage to his basement. He said he had to rip out wall cabinets, among other things, some that he has no damage estimates on yet.

"I don't think I should install a sump pump to clean out raw sewage from the city," he said, adding that so far he has been turned down by the borough's insurance company. "I expect the council to do the right thing."

"Our property values are worthless until you do something about it. It is a borough problem. As of July 6, you did know about it. Every time it rains, we've got to be on our action stations. My neighbor and I were in 4èfeet of water," said Bigley, who claims to have about $3,000 in flood damage. "You have a moral obligation to protect the citizenry as elected officials."

Cindy Michael of 610 Terrace showed pictures of the flooded street area. "This isn't a little bit of water. This isn't a backup of sewage in my basement. It's a backup of sewage on my street," she said. "I feel that reimbursement isn't out of the reality of expecting or needing."

Borough Manager Terence Farren acknowledged the problem and said at least $30,000 worth of unbudgeted repairs are being made on Terrace this week, including a $15,000 pipe replacement. Extra catch basins are soon to follow, he added.

He also told residents he is awaiting reports of television monitoring of the pipes under Terrace, Bessemer and Edgewood avenues and Pine Street.

Farren reassured the Terrace Avenue residents that the project should be well on its way to being finished before Friday when possible effects of Hurricane Isabel are scheduled to hit.

"Once we get beyond what we are doing, it's major capital," Farren said, explaining that the problem might require rerouting water lines, which would be "a major, major job."

"We have had problems in other areas. We will have recommendations for the 2004 budget," Farren said. Next year's sewer projects could cost from $50,000 to $100,000, he said Tuesday.

As for reimbursements, Farren said that comes under the borough's general liability insurance. "I ... forward them to the insurance company. I can't say that anyone has received any payment. Again, that's why we carry insurance, that's why they have adjusters and they make the determination," he said.

Despite their complaints, all the residents told council they did appreciate the work being done and the borough employees who came out during the rainstorms.

But all of them want things taken care of, including their bills.

Renicks, who said he has $7,000 worth of flood damage, called his home "an island" when it storms.

"It's not the way I desire to live. I have a 5-year-old who's terrified when it rains and asks, 'Is it going to flood again?' Please consider what you're going to do on Terrace Avenue."

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Sherris Moreira-Byers at sbyers@sharonherald.com