DOWNS - The location of a sewer backup problem in Downs has been narrowed to three drainage tiles and work on finding the problem continues.

In recent months, several residents near Tri-Valley Elementary School have experienced problems with sewage in their basements, said Village Mayor Jeff Schwartz.

Village workers spent the week trying to determine the problem.

Two of the three tiles are on Tri-Valley property. School Superintendent Curt Simonson said the district is more than willing to cooperate.

"They came to us because they needed to get onto school property to track this down," Simonson said. "And I told them, 'by all means.'"

Schwartz said he hopes they will find the problem soon, but how much it will cost to remedy and how long the repairs will take remain undetermined.

"We just don't know until we get in there and expose the problem tile," Schwartz said. "But we know we are headed in the right direction to get the problem fixed."

The village has several old drainage tiles as part of its aging, improvised sewer system, Schwartz said.

Simonson said the school district is waiting to see where the obstruction in the system is to see if it needs to participate further in the project.