South Georgia residents are suing their city over a particularly icky problem — raw sewage that backs up and floods in their yards during heavy rains.

Rochelle Mayor James Rhodes calls the waste bubbling up from manhole covers and relief valves outside people's homes "an act of God." He blames unusually wet weather for flooding the city's sewer pipes.

But some residents say flooding sewage has been a problem for years. Eight residents filed a federal lawsuit on August 13 saying the city's faulty sewer system is polluting nearby Mills Creek in violation of the federal Clean Water Act.

The issue is more personal for Monesa Coney, who has had sewage pooling in her yard. She bought her children a video game console to keep them from playing outside.

Tags: environment, sewage, Wilcox County, Rochelle