Intense Rain Causes Flooding and Drainage Issues in HSV

At the Wednesday, June 5 Board Discussion Meeting, Hot Springs Village POA Public Services Director Ken Unger said he received many emails regarding drainage and flooding problems caused by recent rain events. This article addresses the prevention of drainage problems and property owner responsibility.

Unger, a civil engineer licensed in North Carolina and Pennsylvania, explained, “We’ve had tremendous rain over the last three weeks. We had a similar episode last year in early May.” Unger said he was sitting in a meeting when his phone lit up with calls last May. “We’ve had two or three instances in the last few weeks. If my number is correct, we had about fourteen inches of rain.”

Intense rain events can overwhelm the drainage system

Flash flooding can cause drainage issues, Unger said, “It is not so much the total amount of rain we are struggling with; it is the intensity of rain in a short period of time.”

Unger explained that the system is not designed to handle that amount of intense rainfall. “When you get three inches in a half hour to an hour, no storm drain or ditch is designed to handle that amount. Major highways are designed to handle larger water flows, but residential streets or even DeSoto [Boulevard] are not necessarily designed to handle that amount of rainfall [in such a short time period].

Unger explained, “We get many complaints about water coming off the golf course. We all own the golf courses. Every property owner in the village is responsible for handling the water coming to their property.”

“The reality is that unless the POA did something to increase the water flow on your property, it is your responsibility. The POA did nothing to cause [your property flooding]; Mother Nature did.”

Property owner responsibility
If you install it, you own it

“You can’t call the POA and expect them to fix problems you created,” said Unger.

Driveway culverts are the responsibility of the property owner. The homeowner must handle the issue if the culvert collapses or becomes clogged. Additionally, rocks placed at culvert openings may impede water flow. “If you put it in, you own it,” expressed Unger.

Board Director Mark Quinton suggested that properties in the tornado-affected area ensure that water flow in their culverts is not impeded. He said the loggers and clean-up crews may accidentally drop tornado storm debris on the roads. Rain may cause this material to wash into the ditch, leading to clogged culverts.

Property-owner-installed ditches – When property owners [or the builder] install ditches between properties, the property owner owns the ditch. Ditches are not always correctly sized. Unger said, “The POA does not regulate drainage or grading of property. We regulate aesthetics.”

Ditches on the road right-of-ways

If stone installed by a property owner in a right-of-way is washed out, it is the property owner’s responsibility to take care of the issue. You should consider installing larger-sized stones to prevent reoccurring washouts. (The right-of-way is the area adjacent to the road.)

Stone installed in a ditch may reduce the ditch’s depth and effectiveness in carrying water. When people install stone without increasing the ditch depth, they reduce the ditch’s water flow capacity, which may make flooding more likely.

Unger said that bridges installed over ditches may cause a problem when there is a flash flood.

Don’t blow leaves into the ditches. These leaves may clog a culvert or fill the ditch.

General Manager Kelly Hale mentioned that blowing leaves into ditches may lead to the street subbase degrading. This costs all property owners and is an avoidable expense. “We’ve been trying to educate people.”

Unger can make suggestions but will not design your drainage

Unger said he is willing to make suggestions about drainage issues. “I can give you my two cents.”

“Most people use landscapers to design their drainage.” Landscapers are usually not trained in designing proper swale sizes. If asked for his input, Unger said he would not calculate the necessary swale size, but if the current swale is undersized, he will let the property owner know. When building a home, it may be necessary to consult with an engineer if you have a problem you don’t know how to fix.

If you make a mistake on a drainage issue, you are responsible for it – not the POA.

Drainage should be considered when building a new home

Public Services took over the Permitting and Inspections Department at the beginning of the year. “We are going to do our best moving forward to try to educate people as they build, but we are not responsible for grading and drainage issues on private property. “If you make a mistake, you have to own it.”

Unger said while they may give advice when a home is being built, the POA does not regulate drainage issues. Drainage is sometimes not considered when a new home is built. There have been problems, such as a lake home being built too low or a driveway sloping into the house without a drain.

A brand new, $400,000 house recently flooded. Unger said a drainage ditch should have been installed in the back of the property. The property owners said the builder installed a ditch in the rear of the property, “but we didn’t like it. It didn’t look nice.” A small drain was installed in lieu of the ditch.

Reporting a problem with a POA-owned culvert

Unger asked property owners to notify the POA if they notice a clogged POA-owned culvert. The preferred method to report issues is using the online Public Services Request Form. To make an online report, log into the “Members” section on the Explore the Village website. Click “Services,” located at the top of the screen. Click “Public Services” in the drop-down menu.

“We’ve been handling dozens and dozens of POA-owned drainage requests,” shared Unger. There are over 3,000 POA-owned culverts, and Public Services relies on residents’ feedback to know when there is a problem.

It is not going away

Unger said to expect more of the flash flood events. “It doesn’t look like it is going away. It looks like it is only getting worse.”

By Joe Dowden