By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities
Each time it rains, a torrential river of storm water threatens to wash away the fenced-in back yard of a North Texas homeowner.
Steven Owens shows CBS DFW a video recording of rushing storm waters, which flood the grassy area that divides several back yards of homes in the Villages of Woodland Springs, Fort Worth.
When the sun is shining, the area behind Owens’ home is a peaceful babbling brook. But on rainy days, water rises quickly, eroding the drainage ditch behind Owens’ house.
One of his neighbors is lucky. Someone built a retaining wall behind his home down the street. But there’s no wall or barrier to stop erosion of soil near his back yard. See for yourself in the video below.
Fort Worth Family’s Backyard Turns Into ‘River’ During Heavy Rain: ‘The Erosion Doesn’t Stop’
CBS DFW, June 12, 2019 at 6:32 pm
Familiar story?
Here we have yet another storm water drainage disaster story.
Sounds very familiar.
Poorly controlled storm water drainage is also to blame for a landslide threatening hillside condos in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the growing ravine that’s swallowing up the back yard of homeowners in Fulshear, Texas.
Like Owens, these frustrated homeowners say that the storm water infrastructure of their communities wasn’t done right. Now it’s destroying their homes, their biggest investment.
In the Villages of Woodland Springs, homeowners also blame the developer of their community, Centurion American, for poor design of the storm water management system.
The City of Fort Worth tell Owens that the storm water drainage area is still owned by Centurion. The Department of Transportation and Public Works says it cannot or will not do anything to stop the erosion. The developer says it’s willing to work with the City to dedicate the drainage easement for public maintenance.
The question is, how long will it take to navigate that bureaucracy and solve the erosion problem? ♦