OCR Text |
Show Rising ground water plagues Hecla Subdivision homeowners Several residents of the Hecla Subdivision near Mill Creek have complained com-plained to the County Commission and Board of Health that rising ground water in the area is flooding basements and yards in the subdivision with a mixture of water and raw sewage from septic tanks. Ms. Wendy Phillips, a resident of the subdivision subdivi-sion stated that she has been forced to pump out her basement twice a day. She further said that she has had her septic tank pumped out twice in one week, but that it fills almost immediately. She said that she has had trouble finding contractors contrac-tors who are willing to work on the problem. Ms. Phillips, along with several sever-al residents of the subdivision, sub-division, blames the problem pro-blem on over-irrigation of a nearby field leased by Ms. Emma Walker. Though the accumulation of water had lessened late last week, according to Ms. Phillips, the smell of untreated sewage was evident. Ms. Betty Dalton, a neighbor of Ms. Phillips, agreed with her assessment assess-ment of the situation, stating that she has lived in her present house 18 years and that this is the first time that water has accumulated under the house in November. She said that in the last five years she has found water in ' her basement only once. Both women said that they had contacted the Grand County Commission Commis-sion and the Board of Health, but that no solution had been forthcoming. forth-coming. Ms. Phillips said that the problem was creating a health hazard for her four children. When asked to comment com-ment on the situation, Jim Johnson, Sanitarian for the Moab area, told The Times-Independent that the problem may be the result of natural high ground water or irrigation water flooding the leaching leach-ing fields. He stated that he has previously recom-mendeded recom-mendeded to the homeowners home-owners that test holes need to be drilled to determine the origin of the water. He said that Emma Walker had told him that her irrigation water was not responsible for the flooding. Johnson stated that if the natural ground water . level in the area is high, any spetic tank and leaching field, regardless of design, would fail. He went on to say that the problem could be the result of poor plarining on the part of homeowners in the subdivision. He commented com-mented that an irrigation line in the area belonging to the Moab Irrigation Company could add to the problem, as it is not completely sealed. He stated that, at this time, the cause of the flooding has not been identified, although he did not rule out the possibility that the high water table was the result of over irrigation from the Walker fields. Homeowners have vented vent-ed feelings of frustration over the lack of action by government agencies in dealing with the problem. Ms. Phillips in particular, criticized the Board of Health for its inactivity. Johnson explained that responsibility for correcting correct-ing the problem may rest with the homeowners and that definite proof as to the cause of the flooding will be necessary before action is taken. He stated that it may be necessary to take the matter to court. ..... .... . V-.- ? Several residents of the Hecla Subdivision have complained to the Grand County Commission and the Board of Health about water flooding their basements and infiltrating their septic tanks. The protesting residents feel that the flooding is due to the over-irrigation of a neighboring field. |