WHITEWATER, Wis. -- As 1st Lt. Joe Cull works to keep his unit and the people of Afghanistan safe , he's fighting another battle some 6,800 miles away in Whitewater.

It's a very different battle for the local Marine.

"So I get a phone call, and he said, 'Hey, the city's sewer backed up and it's caused a bunch of damage,'" Cull said, in an interview from Afghanistan. "(There was) eight to 12 inches of water and sewage in the whole basement of my house."

A sewer back-up in early July filled Cull's basement with water and raw sewage. The city of Whitewater admitted that the back-up was the result of a blockage in a city-owned sewer main -- off of Cull's property and underneath the road, WISC-TV reported.

Regardless of the admission, the city still won't pay for the damage. Cull said, as a taxpayer, it's just not right.

"I'm overseas doing what I'm supposed to do -- and they wouldn't even help clean up the mess, let alone pay for it," Cull said. "And right now, we're looking at $20,000 worth of damage."

Cull's basement had to be gutted, the foundation had to be repaired and appliances had to be replaced.

Cull said the city should have taken responsibility.

Whitewater's public works director, Dean Fischer, told WISC-TV that he understands Cull's frustration. But Fischer said it's hard to determine what, or who, caused the blockage last month.

"From a liability standpoint, it's very hard for the city to take responsibility for the entire system," Fischer said.

Because of that, Fischer said the city can't take the blame for the damage.

"I understand his frustration totally," Fischer said. "Again, we can't control every discharge from a home that could cause a blockage."

As Cull continues his tour in Afghanistan, he said he now worries about what he'll do when he returns to his home in November -- with a $20,000 bill for damage that he really had nothing to do with.

"My service over here is strictly voluntary -- and I don't think the city of Whitewater owes me anything for it," Cull said. "But what I do think they owe me for is the fact that I pay taxes, just like everybody else who lives on my street."

There is extra insurance that homeowners can buy to help cover some of the costs of damage from sewer back-ups, WISC-TV reported. Cull did not have that additional insurance, and most homeowners don't carry that coverage either.

The city of Whitewater said its policy of not covering damages in instances like this is fairly common among other municipalities across the state.

WISC-TV obtained city insurance documents indicating that the city of Whitewater did file an insurance claim for the damage, but the claim was ultimately denied.

The letter to Cull said the insurance company "completed its investigation, and found there is no negligence on behalf of the city of Whitewater," even though in documents from the city, a worker who cleared the blockage reported it was "our problem."

Meanwhile, a group of fellow Marines are working on ideas to offer Cull some help to pay for the damage to his home.

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