Politics & Government

Crews are Working, But Flooding Still Not Under Control

City tackling issues that are causing water, sewage in basements

Six weeks after a that overflowed the sewer system and flooded basements and roads, the city is continuing to fix drainage problems to prevent a recurrence.

It's not fast enough, though, several residents told City Council at a meeting Tuesday night -- including a Rock Creek Circle man who said flood damage cost four households on his street $66,000 out of pocket.

Mayor Tom Perciak urged patience, saying the city brought in as many outside contractors as it could to help its six-man sewer department after the July 19 storm, which dumped almost 6 inches of rain in 90 minutes.

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"It's not going to happen overnight," Perciak said.

Service Director Joe Walker said , picking up debris and clearing waterways to prevent stormwater backups.

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On Howe Road, for example, a contractor has spent more than a week cleaning out ditches. Traffic was disrupted for a few days this week as a collapsed culvert under the road was replaced.

A separate project aimed at flooding in the Stillbrooke Drive area is expected to start in a few weeks.

City Engineer Ken Mikula said work will be done at about 150 homes in Hunting Meadows to seal cracks in sanitary sewer tie-ins that allow rainwater to infiltrate, leading to sewage backups in basements.

"We're going to seal them off so water can't get in," Mikula said.

Although the work will be done in Hunting Meadows, residents in the Stillbrooke area and other neighborhoods downstream will benefit, officials said.

 


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