WESTERN PA. Neighbors want city to help with storm water flooding

Water from the last storm caused one resident's basement wall to collapse.
FARRELL, Pa. -- Residents of the DeBrakeleer Avenue, Landay Lane and Moss Avenue area are looking for some city assistance to deal with storm water runoff problems.
"A little help ... would be appreciated," Kenneth Rogers of DeBrakeleer Avenue told city council Monday.
Rogers and a group of neighbors showed up at a council meeting to seek help with water that runs off the back yards of neighboring homes and floods their areas.
The water was so bad in the last major rainstorm that the basement wall of one home collapsed, Rogers said.
The surface water is also getting into sanitary lines, causing sewage to back up into basements, he said. The street in front of his home is being undermined by the water and will eventually collapse, he predicted.
Rogers said he spent $500 to put in exterior storm drains to keep the water away from his house last year, but the street is still being damaged and his neighbors are still being flooded.
To meet
Mayor William Morocco said city officials and a consulting engineer will meet to determine what help the city can provide.
Engineer Ed Winslow, who has looked at the problem for the city, said municipal help may be limited. Work that needs to be done appears to be on private property and the city would legally be prevented from doing any improvements to private property, he said.
Rogers said he was told the city did put in a storm drainage line on the properties in question many years ago.
If it was done by the city, the city should maintain it and be sure it is working properly, he said.