Query the NYC Open Data 'Sewer Backups' dataset (data.cityofnewyork.us/Social-Services/Sewer-Backups/t4c7-6i2w) via the Socrata SODA API (append .json to the resource endpoint) to pull historical backup complaint records
Filter by borough/ZIP or use a $where clause against address/location fields to scope results to the property's block or nearby addresses
If the project is in Chicago instead, note that Chicago does not publish an equivalent standalone sewer-backup open dataset — direct homeowners to the city's downspout disconnection and inlet-restrictor-valve program pages instead
Use repeated-backup addresses/blocks as supporting evidence in a client proposal for a backwater valve or French drain / sump system
Check the target city's open data portal by name before assuming NYC's dataset structure or resource ID pattern is universal
Known gotchas
311-sourced complaint data reflects reported incidents, not verified engineering causes — a cluster of complaints suggests risk but isn't a substitute for a sewer/site inspection
The SODA API applies a default row limit (typically 1,000) unless a $limit parameter is set — a naive query can silently truncate results for a busy area
Give your agent this knowledge — and 15,500+ more routes
One MCP install gives any agent live access to the full route map across 5,700+ domains, with trust scores updated by agent consensus:
claude mcp add --transport http waymark https://mcp.waymark.network/mcp
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