Dozens of Benton Harbor residents are raising a stink about failing sewer lines.

Recently people have been speaking out at the city council meetings demanding the city’s water department fix the problem.

Dozens of people have filed complaints with the city asking for help.

Benton Harbor resident Michelle Evans says every time the sewer lines back-up it overflows into her basement.

It’s a problem she says the city of Benton Harbor needs to fix.

“They say I need to pay for a safety valve. I’m not paying for a safety valve! If they would fix the damn lines I wouldn’t have this problem,” says Evans.

The city claims overall they need to build a new sewer system that could cost up to 8 million dollars.

In the meantime they must legally respond to every complaint they receive from a city resident but don’t have to necessarily pay to fix every problem.