Central Columbia residents say lack of storm water drain causing thousands in damage
Residents in Central Columbia say the lack of a storm water drain is causing thousands of dollars worth of damage to their properties.
Right now, there is no storm water drain at the intersection of Anderson and West Ash Street, which is turning Josie Sullivan’s home–the house she’s lived in for 11 years–into a storm water pool.
“If the city doesn’t help, what’s going to happen here? Are we going to lose our homes?” Sullivan wondered aloud while showing ABC 17 News the damage to her property. “I can’t afford to just abandon my house and move somewhere else. And I love my house.”
The storm water is tearing up Sullivan’s home, causing her walls to crack and wrecking havoc on the foundation. Despite the damage, the city has told her there’s no money for a storm drain.
Sullivan tells us she’s repeatedly contacted her city councilman, Clyde Ruffin, but he won’t return her calls. She’s also contacted the mayor, but says she hasn’t had any luck getting in touch with him, either.
Over the years, the city has given Sullivan a few recommendations (she’s lived in the home for 11 years, Sullivan says this has been an issue for 9). In fact, she’s poured $6,000 into her home, but she’s now being told it will cost $11,000 to fix the new damage. Even if she had the money, Sullivan says there’s no point in fixing it since the city won’t address the root of the problem.
This isn’t the first time ABC 17 News has covered storm water issues. As we previously reported, the city bought two homes on the nearby Again Street to fix storm water problems in the neighborhood.
Still, Sullivan has not seen any changes to her property, so she’s taking her complaints to the city council meeting Tuesday. She tells us she hopes she can get a response, otherwise, she fears her home may be damaged beyond repair.
