Oct. 3, 2000
Residents in an upscale North Salt Lake neighborhood say they are at constant risk for serious flooding, and the city's negligence is to blame.
Some residents of the Eaglewood area have been washed out or flooded four of five times in just two years.
And now, residents want action!
News Specialist Scott Light investigated the problem and has this report.
No one disputes there's a runoff problem.
The question is who's liable? Residents? The city? Or both?
We found one problem is someone added some underground connections to the drainage system, and the city never inspected.
It was a messy, soggy scene back on August 30th.
A massive rainstorm blew through the northern Wasatch Front, flooding some basements and ruining others.
The Eaglewood subdivision in North Salt Lake was hit hard.
That August day, Bob and Maureen Evans had 20 neighbors in their backyard slinging buckets, trying to keep the water out of their basement.
"THIS WINDOW WELL WAS HALF-FILLED WITH WATER."
Any hillside development can have runoff, especially during a big storm.
But in normal circumstances, North Salt Lake officials say residents can control runoff with proper landscaping.
Bob Evans/Eaglewood Resident: "HAVING BEEN TOLD THAT WE HAVE TO CONTROL IT ON OUR OWN YARD-- I'VE BUILT THAT UP AND THE RESULT IS IT CAME INTO OUR BASEMENT."
Bob Evans has seen flooding like this four times in two years.
Fellow Eaglewood resident Lynn Packer has been washed out five times.
Lynn Packer/Eaglewood Resident: "IT'S A SYSTEM THAT'S REALLY SLIP-SHOD. IT'S BEEN SORT OF JURY-RIGGED TOGETHER."
His runoff problem is even more complicated because of one unique factor.
The drainage system around his house has been tapped into the drainage system for Eaglewood Golf Course.
Lynn Packer/Eaglewood Resident: "THERE WAS NO INSPECTION, SOMEBODY JUST CAME IN AND DID IT."
So on August 30th the course drainage system was maxed out from the storm itself.
The extra load it took on from nearby houses was too much.
Packer says a drain pipe was a geyser.
Parts of the golf course flooded and run-off water went barreling toward homes below.
The city admits a contractor likely tapped into Eaglewood's drainage system and no one followed up with an inspection.
Collin Wood/City Manager: "POSSIBILITY OF THAT. I WOULD HOPE THAT WOULDN'T BE THE CASE BUT IT COULD BE THE CASE, YES."
On the golf course or away from it, residents really began asking questions about runoff after the August drenching.
Some 23 homes reported water in their basements.
The city's explanation after the storm stirred up even more distrust.
Collin Wood/City Manager: "IN MY ESTIMATION IT WOULD BE AT LEAST A ONE-IN-25-YEAR STORM."
Bob Evans/Eaglewood Resident: "THERE'S NO WAY AUGUST 30TH WAS A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME STORM. WE'VE BEEN FLOODED FOUR TIMES IN TWO YEARS SINCE WE'VE BEEN HERE."
Adequate or not, the city is at least double checking its system now.
It hired an engineering firm to check out drainage around Eaglewood.
A final report is due in a week or so.
