03-18-2008 City Council Study Session PacketCity of Grand Island
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Study Session Packet
City Council:Mayor:
Margaret Hornady
City Administrator:
Jeff Pederson
City Clerk:
RaNae Edwards
T
u
7:00:00 PM
Council Chambers - City Hall
100 East First Street
Tom Brown
Larry Carney
John Gericke
Peg Gilbert
Joyce Haase
Robert Meyer
Mitchell Nickerson
Bob Niemann
Kirk Ramsey
Jose Zapata
Call to OrderCity of Grand Island City Council
A - SUBMITTAL OF REQUESTS FOR FUTURE ITEMS
Individuals who have appropriate items for City Council consideration should complete the Request for Future Agenda
Items form located at the Information Booth. If the issue can be handled administratively without Council action,
notification will be provided. If the item is scheduled for a meeting or study session, notification of the date will be given.
B - RESERVE TIME TO SPEAK ON AGENDA ITEMS
This is an opportunity for individuals wishing to provide input on any of tonight's agenda items to reserve time to speak.
Please come forward, state your name and address, and the Agenda topic on which you will be speaking.
MAYOR COMMUNICATION
This is an opportunity for the Mayor to comment on current events, activities, and issues of interest to the community.
Call to Order
Pledge of Allegiance
Roll Call
Invocation - Pastor Kip Smith, Peace Lutheran Church, 4018 Zola Lane
This is an open meeting of the Grand Island City Council. The City of Grand Island abides by the Open Meetings Act
in conducting business. A copy of the Open Meetings Act is displayed in the back of this room as required by state
law.
The City Council may vote to go into Closed Session on any agenda item as allowed by state law.
City of Grand Island City Council
Item -1
Presentation on 2008 Groundwater Survey Report
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Study Session
City of Grand Island
Staff Contact: Jeff Pederson
City of Grand Island City Council
Council Agenda Memo
From: Jeff Pederson, City Administrator
Meeting: March 18, 2008
Subject: 2008 Groundwater Survey Report
Item #’s: Special Item #1
Presenter(s): Jeff Pederson, City Administrator
Paul M. Briseno, Assistant to the City Administrator
Background
At the September 18, 2007 City Council Study Session Olsson Associates presented an
updated groundwater removal study and computer model. The updated project had an
estimated cost of $23,385,000 in capital, with annual costs of $1,876,412 for amortization
and $467,170 estimated for annual operational expenses. This study session resulted in
City Council’s request for further study.
In response to this request, a committee was created to strategically explore the
groundwater issue. Provided for your review is a copy of the 2008 Groundwater Survey
and Report, which will be formally presented at the study session.
This survey and report was prepared by a group of City staff members who demonstrated
a high level of dedication, thoughtfulness, and overall effort throughout the process.
Individuals involved with conducting the study and preparing the report included:
Assistant to the City Administrator, Paul Briseno; City Attorney, Dale Shotkoski;
Building Director, Craig Lewis; Geographical Information System (GIS) Technician, Pat
Larson; Planning Director, Chad Nabity; Public Information Officer, Wendy Meyer-
Jerke; Public Works Director, Steve Riehle ; and Utilities Director, Gary Mader. Public
Works Administrative Assistant Catrina Delosh also provided valuable compilation of the
survey data and Regional Planning’s Technician Ed Maslonka provided essential
computerized mapping and research.
Discussion
The submission of this report to Council follows a request made at the September 18,
2007 presentation by Olsson Associates to have the City Administrator study the “need”
for a de-watering project. Therefore, I believe it would be fitting for the Council to
consider the findings for this study with respect to the question: “Should the City proceed
with further consideration for the implementation of the de-watering project as proposed
in the Olsson Associates updated study?”
An Executive Summary is provided with the report which highlights both the context of
the study, as well as the major findings of the citizen survey. The findings of the study
are both valid and suggestive of the need to carefully consider whether or not there is a
high cost low benefit of a de-watering project.
The Groundwater Survey and Report shows 141 respondents (9%) of the surveyed area
had problems at the time of the survey and that a large percent (64%) of respondents have
taken successful measures on their own.
Conclusion
This item is presented to the City Council in a study session to allow questions to be
answered and to create a greater understanding of the issue at hand.
Once presented, Council may request this item be placed on a future agenda for further
consideration.
2008 Groundwater Survey
Report
Executive Summary
There are recorded comments by early settlers in the 1850’s about high groundwater in the area
and the issue has been an on-going topic of discussion. Grand Island is surrounded by rivers,
creeks, streams and sloughs. The soils are extremely porous and allow water to drain away
quickly when water tables are low or to rise quickly during wet periods. The parts of town
historically affected most by high groundwater include areas that are; 1) north of Capital Avenue
and west of North Road, 2) south of Anna\Bismark and east of U.S. Highway 281.
In 2007, several storms occurred each producing more than 2 inches of rain in a 24 hour period.
With groundwater intrusion interest at a high level in the community Olsson Associates
presented a plan to the City Council in August for an approximate 24 million dollar dewatering
system. Subsequent to that presentation the City Council directed the City Administrator to
research the viability of the proposed dewatering system. As a means to document the extent of
the “groundwater issue” in Grand Island, and the related justification for implementation for the
Olsson recommendation, 6,799 surveys were sent to addresses in the areas identified in the
Olsson study. Five Thousand Eight Hundred and Eighty reached the intended addresses, with
1,554 answered and returned by January 2008.
Of the 1,554 surveys completed, only 141 respondents (9%) reported having water in their
basement at the time of the survey. Approximately 1/3 or 553 of the respondents reported EVER
having groundwater intrusion. The survey also revealed the fact that groundwater intrusion has
NOT been an issue for almost 2/3’s (1,001) of the survey respondents.
Sixty percent of the respondents that reported EVER having groundwater intrusion (329 of 553,)
indicated that they took private measures to mitigate groundwater intrusion problems on their
property. Sixty-Four percent (211 of 329) of those that took private mitigation measures
reported successful results.
Many of the homes in the identified areas were built outside of the city limits prior to the time
that the City had any authority to enforce zoning or building codes in those areas. Grand Island
building codes have been adopted over the years to control how property develops with respect
to groundwater. At this time, sump pits and drainage pipe systems are required on all new
construction having a basement more than 2 feet below the curb. The City could disallow
basements in parts of town that might experience groundwater problems; however the desire
amongst homeowner to have a basement for tornado shelter has prevented the City from
disallowing basements.
Groundwater intrusion can be an inconvenient and costly problem for individuals and families.
The overriding conclusion of the 2008 Groundwater Intrusion Survey is that only 141
respondents (9%) had problems at the time of the survey and that a large percent (64%) of the
people that of have taken successful measures on their own.
1
2008 City of Grand Island
Groundwater Survey Report
Purpose
The September 18, 2007 study session on groundwater resulted in City Council’s request for
further study.
In response to this request, a committee was created October 2, 2007 to strategically explore the
groundwater issue. The committee consists of City Administrator, Jeff Pederson, Assistant to the
City Administrator, Paul Briseno, City Attorney, Dale Shotkoski, Building Director, Craig
Lewis, Geographical Information System (GIS) Technician, Pat Larson, Planning Director, Chad
Nabity, Public Information Officer, Wendy Meyer-Jerke, Public Works Director, Steve Riehle,
and Utilities Director, Gary Mader.
The committee discussed multiple approaches in exploring the groundwater issue. The group
quickly agreed that they needed to understand the extent of groundwater intrusion in identified
areas before researching potential resolutions. The areas for research had been identified by
Olsson Associates. Subsequently, the committee commissioned a survey to gain insight about
and fully define the extent of groundwater intrusion.
As a result of the proposal for a site specific survey, the committee chose not to survey the entire
city. A previous city-wide survey had already identified areas affected by groundwater. This
survey would focus on the areas identified by Olsson Associates.
Design
The survey was intentionally designed with simple yes/no questions. The committee utilized
specific language for each question to minimize the likelihood of misleading readers.
Survey Questions:
A sample of the survey can be found in the appendix of this report.
1. Do you have a basement? Yes/No
2. Do you currently have groundwater intrusion problems in your basement? Yes/No
3. Have you had groundwater intrusion problems in your basement in the past? Yes/No
4. Have you taken measures to mitigate groundwater intrusion? Yes/No
5. Have the mitigation measures worked? Yes/No
6. Comments
Implementation
On October 25, 2007 the survey was finalized. The City/County Geographical Information
System (GIS) was utilized to identify and mail merge thousands of addresses within identified
areas. This was a new utilization of the GIS software.
City staff and equipment were used to print, fold, and stuff envelopes. On November 13, 2007
6,799 surveys were mailed to residents within the identified areas. Originally 6,799 surveys were
mailed at a cost of $2,146.23. In total 5,880 surveys were delivered by the post office and 919
were returned as undeliverable. Returned surveys cost $408. The total survey cost was
$2,554.23.
2
2008 City of Grand Island
Groundwater Survey Report
An informative program was shown on GITV and a press release issued to local media prior to
distribution of the survey. These two resources were utilized prior to the survey release to ensure
the greatest response.
Completed surveys were returned with utility payments, through the mail, or dropped off at City
Hall. The Public Works Administrative Assistant recorded each survey in a specially designed
database. The data base recorded the respondents name, address, and answers to the survey
questions. Surveys were accepted until January 2008.
Over 900 comments were reported on returned surveys. These comments were also entered into
the data base. These comments provide valuable anecdotal information that is important.
The survey comments can be found in the appendix of this report.
Once all data was collected, it was analyzed to gain an understanding of existing groundwater
intrusion issues in the defined area.
The survey polled 100% of the sample area and received a successful 26% response rate.
Survey Results
Groundwater Survey Summary
Surveys Sent November 2007
Acceptance Ended January 2008
Surveys Sent out 6,799
*Surveys Returned Undelivered 919
Actual Surveys Delivered 5,880
Responded to Survey 1,554
Response Rate (responded/actual) 26.43%
3
2008 City of Grand Island
Groundwater Survey Report
The 1,554 survey respondents were evenly dispersed as seen in Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Disbursement of Survey Responses
4
2008 City of Grand Island
Groundwater Survey Report
Water Intrusion
The number of survey respondents that reported having groundwater intrusion “in the past” was
514, or 33% of the total respondents. However, only 141, or 9% of the total survey respondents
reported having groundwater intrusion “at the time the survey” was administered (Figure 2).
Figure 2
1554
141
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
Total Survey
Responses
Currently Have
Groundwater
Intrusion (9% or
141 of the 1554
total survey
responses)
Current Groundwater Intrusion
1554
514
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
Total Survey
Responses
33% (514) Had
Groundwater
Intrusion
Past Groundwater Intrusion
5
2008 City of Grand Island
Groundwater Survey Report
Further interpretation revealed that,
1. 102 respondents replied in the affirmative to both having water intrusion in the past and
at the time of the survey
2. A total of 553 respondents reported having water intrusion at some point in time, either in
the past or at the time of the survey.
The next section of this report quantifies the survey responses that indicated groundwater
intrusion and required mitigation measures, the success rate of those measures. In total 553
respondents stated they currently have or in the past had water intrusion problems. (Figure3).
Figure 3.
Had groundwater
intrusion at the time of
the survey and in the
past
Had water in the past but not
at the time of the survey
Had Groundwater
Intrusion at the
time of the survey
and not in the past
Responded “YES” to
having groundwater
intrusion at the time
of the survey
Responded “YES” to having
groundwater intrusion in the
past
412 + 102 + 39 = 553 had water intrusion
problems at some point in time
6
2008 City of Grand Island
Groundwater Survey Report
Again, the dispersion of the 553 respondents who reported having groundwater intrusion now or
in the past is relatively even throughout the surveyed area (Figure 4).
Figure 4
7
2008 City of Grand Island
Groundwater Survey Report
Mitigation Measures
The survey also allowed respondents to express whether or not they had taken measures on their
own to mitigate the groundwater intrusion and whether or not those measures were successful.
Of the 553 respondents that reported having groundwater intrusion, 329 or 60% took mitigation
measures. Mitigation measures taken were 64% successful and only 118 respondents reported
that even after the migration measures were applied, groundwater intrusion was still present
(Figure 5).
Figure 5
553
329
211
118
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
553
Had/Currently
Have
Groundwater
Intrusion
60% (329 of the
553) Took
Mitigation
Measures that
Had/Currently
Have
Groundwater
Intrusion (553)
64% (211 of the
329) Sucessful
Mitigation
Measures of the
329 that took
Mitigation
Measures
36% (118 of the
329) Uncessful
Mitigation
Measures of the
329 that took
Mitigation
Measures
Rate of Mitigation Measures
8
2008 City of Grand Island
Groundwater Survey Report
Those respondents who took measures to mitigate the groundwater intrusion and were
unsuccessful were considered to have a continuing problem. The location of the 118 continuing
problems is shown in the map below in (Figure 6).
Figure 6
Respondents who took unsuccessful
mitigation measures
9
2008 City of Grand Island
Groundwater Survey Report
Summary of Results
The survey was designed with Yes/No questions. If neither ‘Yes’ nor ‘No’ was selected as
an answer to a specific question, the question was deemed unanswered. Of the 1,554
responses to the groundwater survey, over half, or 58%, reported no groundwater intrusion.
Less than half, 553 or 36% have in the past or currently have groundwater intrusion (See figure
3) and 6% did not record an answer to this question.
Of the 1,554 responses, 339 or 22% did not have a basement.
Of the 1,554 responses to the groundwater survey, 514 or 33% reported they had
groundwater intrusion in the past (See figure 2). The past is understood to mean anytime prior
to the delivery of the survey.
Of the 1,554 responses to the groundwater survey, 141 or 9% currently have groundwater
intrusion (See figure 2). Currently is understood to mean at the time the survey was
administered.
Of the 1,554 responses to the groundwater survey, 553 or 36% answered ‘Yes’ to either
having water at the time of the survey or at some point in the past (See figure 3).
Of the 553 responses that have had groundwater intrusion, 329 or 60% took measures to
mitigate the problem (See figure 5). The survey did not specifically ask what measures were
taken.
o Of the 329 responses that took mitigation measures, 211 or 64% were successful
(See figure 5).
o Of the 329 responses that took mitigation measures, 118 or 36% were
unsuccessful (See figure 5).
10
2008 City of Grand Island
Groundwater Survey Report
11
2008 City of Grand Island
Groundwater Survey Report
Other
An analysis of the 900 comments resulted in further study of various topics which required
research and detailed computerized mapping of the Grand Island city limits from incorporation
to present day. Topics included:
Basement construction regulations
Municipal limits and authority
Past Projects
Many of these questions are answered within the timeline below.
Municipal limits from selected years can be found in the appendix of this report.
Timeline of Related Events
1928
Parkview Subdivision was created. Grand Island did not have Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ)
outside the city limits. ETJ is the area beyond the corporate limits, in which the City has been
granted the powers by the state to exercise zoning and building regulations (See 1929 Map).
1961
The Village of Parkview was approved by the Hall County Board creating its own jurisdiction.
The City of Grand Island had a 1 mile ETJ(See 1959 & 1962 Map ).
1969
The Village of Parkview was annexed into the City of Grand Island (See 1970 Map).
1976
Prior to 1976 Floodplain maps were adopted and the National Flood Insurance Program went
into effect. The floodplain areas were based on surface water flooding, not groundwater
intrusion. Construction of basements in the floodplain was prohibited. Prior to this time the
prohibition of basement construction and regulations was nonexistence (See 1976 Map).
1980
June 3rd tornados hit Grand Island. At the request of the City of Grand Island, the Federal
Emergency Management Authority (FEMA) approved the construction of basements in flood
plain areas for future storm safety needs. FEMA approved an exception permitting basements
built and designed to handle the hydrodynamic and hydrostatic pressures of a 100 year flood.
This required an engineered design for basements in a floodplain (See 1980 Map).
1984
Capital Heights area in the northwest of Grand Island area was annexed into the City of Grand
Island. The ETJ was extended to 2 miles. (See 1984 Map).
1987
The City designed two de-watering districts to serve portions of the southeast area. Neither
district was created because of opposition from property owners within the districts.
12
2008 City of Grand Island
Groundwater Survey Report
1993
The City designed Subsurface Drainage District #1 for a portion of the Capital Heights area in
the northwest Grand Island area. A subsurface drainage district was created where participating
homeowners would be assessed for construction and continued operating costs. The district was
protested out by a margin of 3 to 1.
1995
The City adopted a requirement for a subsurface drainage system to be installed for any new
construction where the basement was 2 feet or more below the curb of the adjacent street. The
requirement was a result of the Lutz, Daily and Brain “Report on Groundwater Elevations”. (See
1995 Map).
2000
The City and the Central Platte Natural Resources District (CPNRD) commissioned the Olsson
Associates “De-Watering System Study”. Five test wells were installed for the study in Grand
Island to measure the impact on groundwater levels. The test wells continue to be managed by
the CPNRD with utility costs paid by the city. The project was not funded because of significant
construction and long term operation and maintenance costs, as well as concerns about the
impact on area lakes. The City and the CPNRD applied unsuccessfully for funding from the
Nebraska Natural Resources Commission. Additionally, 2000 was the beginning of a 7 year
drought, during which groundwater tables were lowered naturally.
2007
Olsson Associates updated the construction and operating costs for the above de-watering
system. A special study session was held to present the updated costs. The project would cost
an estimated $23,385,000 in capital, with annual costs of $1,876,412 for amortization and
$467,170 estimated for annual operational expenses.
13
1928
Parkview Subdivision was created. Grand Island did not have Extra
Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) outside the city limits. ETJ is the area
beyond the corporate limits, in which the City has been granted the
powers by the state to exercise zoning and building regulations
14
Locust St SStuhr Rd SUS Highway 281 SCapital Ave E
US Highway 30 W
Capital Ave W
Engleman Rd NBroadwell Ave NShady Bend Rd SNorth Rd NUS Highway 30 E
US Highway 34 EUS Highway 281 NStolley Park Rd WCuster Ave NBismark Rd E2nd St W
Ed
d
y
S
t
N
Engleman Rd SAnna St W
Nebraska Hig
h
w
a
y
2
W
Husker Hwy
S
y
c
a
m
o
r
e
S
t
N
13th St W
Old Highway 30 W
US Highway 34 WNorth Rd SOld Potash Hwy W
Old Highway 2
W
1st St W
Blaine St S1st St EState St W
Bla
i
n
e
S
t
N17th St W
US Highway 281 SNorth Rd SUS Highway 30 EUS Highway 30
WUS Highway 281 NHusker Hwy
13th St W
State St W
Grand Island City Limits
Survey Area
1959 City Limits
1959 1 mile Jurisdiction
1959 City Limits
15
1961
The Village of Parkview was approved by the Hall
County Board creating its own jurisdiction. The City
of Grand Island had a 1 mile ETJ
16
1969
The Village of Parkview was annexed into the
City of Grand Island
17
1976
Prior to 1976 Floodplain maps were adopted and the
National Flood Insurance Program went into effect.
The floodplain areas were based on surface water
flooding, not groundwater intrusion. Construction of
basements in the floodplain was prohibited. Prior to
this time the prohibition of basement construction and
regulations was nonexistence
18
1980
June 3rd tornados hit Grand Island. At the request of the City of
Grand Island, the Federal Emergency Management Authority
(FEMA) approved the construction of basements in flood plain
areas for future storm safety needs. FEMA approved an
exception permitting basements built and designed to handle
the hydrodynamic and hydrostatic pressures of a 100 year
flood. This required an engineered design for basements in a
floodplain
19
1984
Capital Heights area in the northwest of Grand Island area
was annexed into the City of Grand Island. The ETJ was
extended to 2 miles
20
1995
The City adopted a requirement for a subsurface drainage
system to be installed for any new construction where the
basement was 2 feet or more below the curb of the adjacent
street. The requirement was as a result of the Lutz, Daily and
Brain “Report on Groundwater Elevations”.
21
Groundwater Survey City of Grand Island Please check the response that most closely represents your belief for each question. Do you have a basement? { Yes { No Do you currently have groundwater intrusion prob-lems in your basement? { Yes { No Have you had groundwater intrusion problems in your basement in the past? { Yes { No Have you taken measures to mitigate groundwater intrusion? { Yes { No Have the mitigation measures worked? { Yes { No Comments: ____________________________________________________ First Name Last Name ____________________________________________________ Address * Zip* ____________________________________________________ Phone Number Email Address *Required Information November 13, 2007 Dear Resident, The issue of high water tables and groundwater intrusion into basements has a long history in Grand Island. It is for this reason that the City of Grand Island has commissioned the attached survey.
Please have the appropriate member of the household spend a few minutes to answer the questions and return the
survey with your utility bill or mail to the return address below. Your answers will help the City of Grand Island to fully
define the extent of groundwater problems in our community and the impact on your household and neighborhood.
Your participation in this survey is very important, especially since your household is one of only 4,500 households
being surveyed. If you have any questions about this survey, please call Grand Island Public Works Department at
(308) 385-5444 Ext. 260 or email us at publicworks@grand-island.com.
Thank you for your help and participation.
Respectfully,
Jeff Pederson
City Administrator
Cut Here
City Hall ● Public Works Department ● 100 East First Street ● Box 1968 ● Grand Island, Nebraska 68802-1968 22
PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Gary Mader, Utilities Director
Phone: 308.385.5444 ext.280
Email: gmader@grand-island.com
Pages: 1
Release Date: November 13, 2007—Immediate
Groundwater Intrusion Survey
Grand Island, Neb.— The issue of high water tables and groundwater intrusion
into basements has a long history in Grand Island. September 18, 2007 a special study
session was held to review Olsson AssociatesAssociates updated costs for a
dewatering system developed from prior studies. These studies determined two areas
of town with approximately 4,500 homes that are significantly affected by high
groundwater levels.
Council has directed City Administration to further explore the groundwater intrusion
problems of Grand Island and make a recommendation for further action. It is with this
guidance that a survey of these areas has been commissioned. The attached survey
will be mailed to residents of defined areas November 14.
The areas surveyed are between Streets.
The survey is comprised of five questions and an optional comment section. Questions
asked are simple and intended not to mislead the public. It is essential that citizens
complete the survey including necessary fields.
The city requests residents return the survey with their utility payment. The surveys will
be calculated and plotted to fully define the extent of ground water intrusion area and
the impact it has on households and neighborhoods.
###
23
1 we have a sump pump - partial basement
2 If you have a basement in Grand Island it's your problem as ground water has always been high. The City of GI has other things more pressing.
3 had water in basement during 1967 flood
4 1/2 basement - lived here since 1981
5 we recently moved to this address from 3306 andrew ave because of basement flooding at 3306 andrew ave. Groundwater is a severe problem in GI.
6 once the water was 1/2 inch from my basement floor. My neighbor runs his pump & it lowers my water level. My basement was flooded in 1967 before I
bought the house in 1968. no flooding since but it came very close about 8 or 10 years ago. Some of thos
7 maybe where there's intrusions should not have basement
8 no problems so far
9 Split level house - semi basement.
Flood of 1967
Doing Great!
10 sump pump
11 problems during flood of '67. the only time that we had water problems was druing the 1967 flood
12 business location - no basement to cause groundwater intrusion
13 4' crawl space
14 4' basement, not 8'
15 don't have basement in this area when houses were built. Can't have basements
16 we've never had a problem with groundwater intrusion. Interior block was coated w/ dry lock masonry paint. Exterior moisture barrier as well.
17 last time I had water in the basement was during the flood in the 60's.
18 had water in 1967 put in pit & pumped out water. Have not had water since
19 problems spring '81. used vinegar to be sure to kill mold. We pumped it out. Approx 2" came in. No sump pump.
20 We have a beaver system with large pump that has taken care of all water this year. The pump is still going.
21 only time we have had water in basement when we had big rains of 2-3 inches or more
22 past problems were during flood of '67 -did have dampness - city turned on wells & it helped
23 some of my neighbors pump 24 hrs a day
24 water problem so bad this summer that I don't know what to do or how to try to fix the problem
25 this summer had a little seepage into basement. 1st time in over 25 yrs
26 1 sump pump running & groundwater down a little. Helps but not completely if water level too high. I had 2 sumps running earlier this year & still had
some water coming in. Better now but spring may bring problems
27 crawl space
28 We have not pumped water for 9 years. We only had water when the wood river would back up.
29 measures have worked so far!
30 we don’t have a basement. Our crawl space gets damp - we bought this house with knowledge of groundwater problems in GI for years.
31 have lived here for 10 yrs & have never had any problems. Keeping my fingers crossed!
32 water in 2003 - we have not had any problems except in 2003 when the drainage ditch was blocked & a field sand bagged which cased a backup
33 when we built our home we had the basement floor put at one foot above the hightest groundwater level ever recorded in our area
34 We have no problems or have had in the past. We have a sump pump in case
35 as long as the sumps work, I'm okay. If the water table is really high & one sump quite I'll have a problem
36 has a working sump pump - not running though, no water to pump
37 4 steps up to main floor
38 since I'm a renter and have not been here long I am not sure if there has ever been a problem
39 have installed dewatering system but it has ran since spring.
40 raised basement floor 8"
41 Had no problems
24
42 I personally believe spedning that much money to lower the water talbe is BS. Instead lessen moritoriams & allow farmers to do so with irrigation.
43 we have had no groundwater in our basement since the flood in 1967. however, there are 2 or 3 houses near us which are pumping from crawl spaces
44 this past summer was the first time in 10 yrs. We have had groundwater seepage. I was not living in GI before then.
45 we only have a crawl space - no water problems so far
46 our basement is higher than our neighbors south of us & they are always pumping water when It rains.
47 when we buitl our home in 1968 we made sure the basement floor was above the highest groundwater level at our location
48 my home is seven years old. The previous owners did not have water problems, nor have i. In february I wil lhave lived here 4 yrs
49 manufacturing facility - no basement
50 we don't have a basement and we haven't had any water in our house or crawl space
51 we have lived in this house since April 1973 and have never had groundwater intrusion problems in the basement
52 crawl space
53 I think the city could install permanent water pumps in the areas that have water problems
54 problems during flood of 1967. I only have water in basement when it rains hard. Have dehumidifier in use when rains & snows
55 split level
56 not lately - has worked so far
57 had ground water during flood of 1967
58 we built the basement 3 blks higher from base to keep from taking in water
59 sand point 5' beneath basement floor
60 measures have worked so far. When ground water goes up the city should automatically start their dewatering wells.
61 I have a crawl space under house.
62 we only had slight water problems after a big rain storm - wet carpet & floors. We put more dirt against the house & seemed to take care of it.
63 have had no groundwater intrusion problems
64 since we do not have a basement - we have no ground water problems.
65 when it rains a lot water levels come up. I bought a second pump besides water sump to keep water down, but not 100% effective. Mold problems.
66 only water in basement I'm aware of was in 1967 flood
67 installed backflow & the groundwater problem vanished. We still carry flood insurance as a precaution
68 our toen house is built with a higher grade to the land, so we've never had any water problems
69 no groundwater intrusion yet!! We will have some if we don't do something about standing water behind our house & in church yard. Need help from the
city!
70 have only been in this house 3 yrs
71 I have not had any problems since I moved. I have only lived here a little over a year
72 None
73 I DO NOT believe or support any of your ground water non sense. It is what it is - you cannot do anything about it by stealing more of our dollars
74 I would like to know why the water in certain sinks in my house - as well as several of my neighbors-smells bad. I would love for someone to investigate
this for our neighborhood.
75 5' deep storm shelter - no problems
76 only 2 times when heavy rains and groundwater is very high!
77 the water isn't always in the basement, but the wall is saturated with moisture & it gets to the floor with heavy rain
78 we need all the water. Farmers can't put in any more wells so don't pump water back to the platte river. That's a waste. Cheaper to fill in basements after all
this is the old Platte River
79 we moved into our house in April '07. I can not comment on groundwater intrusion prior to that date. The basement does not appear to have any damage
from groundwater.
80 this summer had problems, but not always. I installed a sand point & motor in the early 80's. I still have problems yearly when the groundwater is high.
81 longer drain spouts away from the house
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82 we do not have wter in our basement, but our sump pump is still running - that's a problem! Measures worked until this spring. We installed our sump pump
in 1992 and since that time it ran only once until this spring when the city water wells were shut
83 no water problems since diversion of wood river
84 this is an apartment complex
85 only lived here one year
86 under basement floor drain system with sump pump - haven't need to use it
87 my intrusion was at least 10 yrs ago. I lost my carpet but have no problems since
88 had water in basement when raining hard outside
89 I would not support a dewatering project
90 split level
91 this spring we had groundwater in 2 bedrooms on the south side of our basement - no current problems
92 any expense for dewatering project should be shared by the ENTIRE community. This is a quality of life issue for everyone!
93 we have a split level - our lower level is only about 4' below grade
94 husband says no - it was rain, lack of gutters, not ground water
95 Installed sump pump, but it has never run. Never have had water in the sump
96 constructed a sump pump pit. Observe water levels pump when needed
97 problems in 1967 flood - 1 inch. Never seem to have problems
98 do not have basement in this area
99 our home is a split level - we do not have a full basement, only garden level
100 our basement is dry - people shouldn't build a house with a basement if groundwater is a problem - buy some dirt & fill it in.
101 the only time we had problems was with the big rain in May of 2005
102 don't know if problems in the past - just moved here March 2006. The former resident from whom we bought had no problem either since flood control
measures were implemented.
103 I really don't know, because I just bought the house, but talking with neighbors they said that no problem arised since they moved in.
104 this is for normandy apts we have 24 units all are dry
105 we rent, so I don't know if there were problems prior to 1/07. we have't had any problems since then.
106 lived here 5 yrs. Not sure about it before we moved here
107 I live in an apartment complex
108 I rent a basement apt & had no water problems
109 I'm getting run off water that backs up onto our property & goes in through egress window.
110 we have a drainage system, basement floor pits & sump pumps. They have never activated
111 with hight groundwater 2 sump pumps could not keep basement dry
112 not sure about the past - may have before I moved here in 1997 - have a sump pump
113 built high enough per building code requirements to be out of 100 yr flood plain. Will Not support a dewatering district if created. Home already has pipes
installed under the basement floor leading to a sump. This system has never been needed as water
114 some seepage. Gorundwater has risen to within several inches of basement floor. When it rises I moniter it regularly.
115 new home built about flood plain plus two sumbmersible sump pumps installed to drain any unusual high water
116 1994 July- groundwater filled sump pit and was auto pumped to grade
2007 August - groundwater entered sump pit - no pumping
117 Has a crawl space, but no water problems. Does have drainage problems - rain water from church floods his backyard.
118 past problems are unknown - recently purchased home
119 utility room have sump pump that keep floor dry.
120 can you send me the results of this survey
121 we have lived here 5 yrs & have never had water in the basement. We have spoken with a family that lived here in the late 70's & they never had problems
either
122 we have 2 sump pumps in our basement - one is still running
123 We have a sump pump area but have never had to use it. I believe the wood river project helped too.
124 8" below floor. Our dewatering system is comprised of 2 sump pumps. Extremely high groundwater will dampen the floor farthest from sumps even when
they are pumping
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125 heavy rains this summer caused water to appear in sump pump pit. Sump pump kept it down. House was built with sump pump. A spec home we
purchased in 1961. except for 1 foot of water during 1967 flood we haven't had problems. Except for the flood of 1
126 have no basement so no problems
127 Our sump pump has been able to handle groundwater problems
128 people shouldn't build homes where the water table is high
129 We have a drainage system under basement floor & sump pump pit have not seen water in pit
130 no water even got on the floor! No problem as long as I keep the pump running when necessary. Why don't we get a stamped prepaid envelope?
131 concerned about rising groundwater. Basement very damp this year & for the first time signs of mold. Water in basement 84, 94, 05, 07.
132 we have a dewatering system or beaver system in our basement but in the past few years it has not run yet
133 sometimes measure taken work. In the past we've only got an inch deep of water after prolonged periods of rain or after a rain even of 4 inches. Generally
inly in spring.this year we had to pump for the first time ever in the fall. We run 2 sump pumps
134 I have not had groundwater problems this year but did after the 7" rain in 5/05
135 my problems have increased dramatically since the city has shut down wells south & west of GI. Maintaining drainage valves has also become an area of
concern.
136 we have lived in what the old timers tell me is "polywog town"! We were here in the flood of 1967 &had 5 1/2 feet of ground water in the basement.
Several other years we had an inch or 2 of ground water and several years of wet cracks in the floor. As
137 at one time we were on our own well & septic system - since hook-up to sewer, problems subsided. After on city water we continued on our own well for
irrigation - no problems since
138 people with basement water problems should bear the extra dewatering expense because they bought these properties cheap for that reason. If dewatering is
active their properties will be worth more when sold.
139 we have a drain system & a sewage pump that cycles every 5-10 seconds in the spring and every 15-25 seconds throughout the year. If it fails, we have
water through the floor - this happened in the spring of this year.
140 had water only during 1967 flood. Water is within 18" of basement floor now.
141 we don't want to pay to dewater other people's homes
142 we are having a dewatering system installed. So we do not know if it will take care of the problem until there is a problem.
143 If the city can help find a solution to the high water talbe it would be much appreciated.
144 ground water was at the base of the basement floor. No problems since we bought the house in 1999. will be looking into mitigation this winter.
145 thrasher basements fixed - cost $9490
146 Since the upgrading of the Sucks Lake & park area it doesn't take much rain to cause the west end to go over the bank. Also east end of cell retains more
water.
147 only time I get water is when it rains hard and a lot
148 live in newer division of town. We are built higher than existing divisions.
149 1/2 basement. Problem only once about 1982. have a sump pump. When home was being built it was determined there would be a water problem so only
built with 1/2 depth.
150 1/2 basement. Problem only once about 1982. have a sump pump. When home was being built it was determined there would be a water problem so only
built with 1/2 depth.
151 I was told there was water in the basement in the early 90's. But has been dry since.
152 we put in a sump pump but on the past it didn't keep the water out
153 we would have little or no problem in our neighborhood if we did not have the detention cell on Stolley Park Rd
154 with no rain it's better - when it rains the problem returns. Thank you for the survey. If one could look back, no basement built over the slough!!
155 only lived here for 1 1/2 yrs
156 have homeowners run sand point wells to water lawns - if enough people are allowed to pump the water table will go down
157 split level 4 or 5 foot below ground level. Our lower level is about 4-5 foot below ground level. We have had no problems recently with seepage. Half
block north on lamar all kinds of problems with basements,
158 don't currently have water, but we have to pull up carpet & put furniture on blocks constantly in case. We have had water 2 times in the last 14 yrs & came
close many times. We don't currently have water but we have to worry everytime we get more than a
159 water came through basement floor during flood of 1967 - none since
160 there is now ay to keep it out, so we don't use our basement except for storage on plat forms. Years ago we had carpeting & a nice finish for a family room
but the wtaer would come back in every few years - about 1/2" - 5"
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161 still needs help
162 still have high water - we pump - but doesn't always lower water enough
163 measures have partially worked - attached letter sent to Groundwater committee
164 I feel as long as the water table continues to be high I will have wet mud, mold and unhealthy conditions in my crawl space. Please help alleviate this
problem.
165 never this bad - we have lived here 17 1/2 yrs. 2 systems in our basement. Measures have worked somewhat - we have been able to keep up the last 2 1/2
yrs. Please help! We can pump 60k gallons/day with our 2 systems & it's not enough. We still have w
166 intrusion creates unlivable space. City should consider impact on property valuations. Recently purchased 2/06. one ctiy recommendation to fill in
basement is NOT acceptable. Previous owners indicated surface water intrusion in 2005. private contract
167 I have had water in my basement 3 different times this summer alone. Frustrating & taxes keep going up
168 small pit w/ furnance & water softner
169 lived here since 1978 middle of block east side never had problem house built in 1964
170 1/2 basement
171 we pumped water most of the summer
172 no problems
173 problems during flood of 1967
174 measure were already in place when we moved in. No problem since 1993 & since diversion channel is in
175 I have a sump pump
176 not willing to pay any amount to correct somebody else's headache
177 never have had a groundwater problem
178 we have people pumping with in 4 houses of ours
179 Sump Pump runs constantly - never happened last 20 years since owned home.
180 no groundwater intrusion in 21 years we have lived here at this address
181 problems in 1967 flood. This year has been the highest groundwater level since we have lived here (1970). It has been from 1 1/2 - 3' below basement level
all year
182 have a sump pump in basement
183 Our sump pump system ran for a small number of times this summer, and our sump still has water.
184 very minor history last year. New gutters - partial help. Had 2 incidents this year. 1st was when gutters were off & had 5" rain. This resulted in minor
flooding. 2nd was seepage in basement floor - very minor.
185 we only had water in our basement during the '67 flood. The water table did get fairly high this summer but remained below the basement floor
186 split level
187 our street has problems but our home is at least a foot higher than everyone else due to a wise builder
188 no such intrusion has occurred at this address since Oct '04. no problem with gourndwater to date
189 I have a sump pump
190 no basement - no problems.
191 thrasher basement is scheduled to fix my basement on 11/27/07. we'll see if it works then. It will cost me $11,800. I would not have bought this house if I
had know of this problem
192 have a sump pump - I have only lived here since 2005
193 in my opinion steps need to be taken to reduce ground water since 1-2 yrs future wet spring/summers will force some homeowners to be pumping out water
12 mos. per year
194 we are about that low lying area south of us
195 on September '07 we called a specialist from Thrasher Co. to fix our groundwater problem. We spent about $21k
196 in areas where homes are being built (where there is even a SLIGHT chance) of groundwater becoming a problem - either no basements, or basements with a
depth limit!
197 we had groundwater in our crawl space briefly during the 2005 flooding caused by the 9" rain
198 basement is reinforced concrete w/ copper dam between floor & walls
199 only owned home 2 yrs. Gutters need installed on home with dirt work also. Need to improve washout.
200 small amount of water about 15 yrs ago - not enough to require corrective action
201 we are pumping constantly. Pollution is a shameful thing. The groundwater damage was extensive and very expensive. I lost my family room & bedroom
wall baord, carpets & furniture all gone. Better planning by officials needed. We never had ground wate
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202 was told the way basement was formed and poured that no sump should be installed
203 I don't have water problems now, only when we have 6-10 inches at one time. It gets in my crawl space, but drains quickly
204 problems in 1960's
205 seepage in cracks & mold growth still occurs
206 We are on "Park Drive" and we want city water- Please!! All the way around us. Not on Park Dr!
207 if you have a basement it's your problem not city's - you built it you live in it.
208 sump pump
209 I don't support tax payer funds being used to mitigate gorundwater problems for individuals
210 we installed a 2nd pump 3 yrs ago. This year we had a small amount of water on the floor. Once we finally got the city to turn on the NRD pump the water
lowered enough for our pumps to keep up.
211 I have well pits at present there is 1 foot of water. I keep sumps. At present it's no problem.
212 had problems in crawl space
213 problems in 1993. have a sump pump to outside yard. 2007 water in sump pit 6" belwo floor- haven't turned sump pump on since 1993.
214 unknown if mitigations work
215 sump pumps will only work partially. Cannot keep entire floor dry
216 basement problems are personal, not city
217 we have only been here since 6/15/07
218 had ground water 3 times before putting in gravel beaver system. Water table has been lower so can't say for sure if system will be 100% effective.
219 jim reed ran a french drain in NE corner to drain water that collects after a 2" rain. I had Herman Plumbing install a sump pump on 4/22/98 and ran a pipe
outside to keep water out. Worked. That was only time.
220 this house was originally a basement house, therefore it was built higher to accommodate the windows, before the main house was built on top - 15 yrs later.
221 we have installed 7 french drains along back lot line after 1" of rain still takes 4 hrs for water to go away
222 our problems are contained to backyard drainage issues after rainfall. We are told that poor grading of land & the clay layer are the underlying causes.
223 I wouldn't want to sepnd $44 a month to fix groundwater problems
224 I don't feel I should be taxed for somone else's problem. People should read disclosure of house or use honest realtor
225 no problems. We have a submursable pump in a pit and has always been dry
226 we bought this house in 5/06 we have yet to have problems with water in our basement. We do have a sump pump. The house is 30 yrs old - I don't know if
there were past problems
227 Survey should be on-line
228 measures worked most of the time 'til this year. Would like info on detention cells on Seedling Mile access road. Please call.
229 our house sits on a small rise. That has prevented any ground water intrusion in the 15 yrs of our ownership - including 1993.
230 tri level house w/ a lower level
231 It's been 7 or 8 years ago since water talbe was threatening and about 4 yrs ago City of GI put down a 4 or 6' dewatering well about 1000' west of our house.
No problems now.
232 we had intrusion of wate rin 1967 during the flood and twice during the extra wet early to mid 1990's, also twice this year. We have sump pumps and a well
and it couldn't pump it out fast enough. We'll need city wells pumping again.
233 had water in the basement about 13 years ago when the groundwater was very high. Have had no problems since.
234 measures have worked to some degree. When the water table is high, I still get water in my basement.
235 basement floor originally 2' below original grade. Raised grade for flood plain exclusion.
236 the city used to pump the well east of us. Pumped it out.
237 don't know about past problems - just purchased the house in March 2007. there is a sump pump in the basement. Nothing has happened since we purchased
the house.
238 problems prior to the wood river diversion
239 had water problems June 1967 @ 427 E Sunset. Next door neighbor @ 2115 Park Dr and 2207 Park Dr had basement water, measure in a few inches
240 not in favor of water district
241 Have lived here 26 years - no problems at all - sent letter
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242 basements that have water problems need to be raised or filled in. You can't pump water from one side of a sand pit and into the other and gain anything - it's
that simple
243 I bought the house 6 yrs ago. There is a sump pump. However, to date I have had no water.
244 however we live by the cemetary which is one of the highest points in SW GI.
245 very bad in 1967 at least 3 inches this year. Had to remov everything from the basement at this time.
246 I believe the people having the problem are the ones that the city put water lines in front of their homes.
247 not in favor of major dewatering wddoer in SW GI - thanks for all the great work the city does.
248 Outside basement walls should be coated with polyurithane, then tar, then plastic, and then about 2 feet of gravel. The downspout from the gutter should
emply into a splash block that carries water 3-4 feet from house.
249 basement room utilitiy only. Do have a pit and did put the sump pump in once - probably 12 years ago. Pumped for a short time.
250 I'm only renting & have only been here since the middle of September
251 measure worked somewhat in the crawl space we have. I have to run a dehumidifier regularly. I am considering sealing the space. Thrasher gave me a $5k
estimate
252 this is the first time in 20 years
253 our basement floor is 18-24" higher than neighbors. The only intrusion we had happened when one main sump failed & the other secondary sump pump
filled the mail pit and overran to partially cover our floor
254 we do not feel that a large scale city developed water mitigation system is the answer
255 no basement - no water in basement
256 no problem - has been dry since purchasing the home in '01
257 it has been at least 16 yrs since we have had any water. I have a pit 5' deep belwo the floor and has been dry for a long time. No more taxes!
258 not really water in basement but ran sump pumps quite often during summer
259 I rent from D & D Investments & they have done nothing!
260 I rent from D & D Investments & they have done nothing!
261 we have only lived here for 18 mos
262 we have a sump pump but it has never had to be used.
263 I live in an apartment builing on the 3rd floor. If it gets to me I have a real problem!
264 when sprinkler system well was serviced this past summer, serviceman indicated water level was at 7 ft.
265 have a beaver system in basement when house was built. Did a hole & water was 18" below ground surface. Beaver system does drain excess water.
266 we've lived here 5 yrs - no water yet - thank god. We do have 2 pumps in the basement
267 I only have a crawl space. When we have lots of rain & flooding in GI it does get wet & muddy from seepage.
268 when my father built the house he knew about & understood ground water issues. He built accordingly. 1967 only had small sewer back up less than 2".
Your survey process should have taken into account of us who have auto pay
269 split level home - have owned 11 1/2 yrs. Neighbors say previous owners have had groundwater problems
270 Have had 5' of water a few years ago. All was ground water.
271 the former owners installed a drainage system but it hasn't been wet enough in the 4 yrs we have lived here for water to collect in pits
272 I would support any efforts to reduce ground water
273 when we built our home approx. 20 yrs ago we brought in dirt & elevated our basement so we could have windows down there.
274 it is a split level so basement isn't veery deep but there has never been a problem
275 we have a dry basement. We have lived here 37 years. We do not have, nor do we need a sump pump. We use our basement mostly for storage now & if
we had water problems, we couldn't do that.
276 with GI ground water problem it would be best if GI had an anti-basement ordinance.
277 split level home - our home is split level - no water problems to date.
278 we recently moved intot he home and the previous owner was an investor that didn't live in the home. He said he didn't know if water had been a problem.
There is a sump pump. Also, the basement had been redone by the investor prior to our purchasing th
279 last time we had water in the basement it was when the city was working on sewer- backup in the basement drain & plumbing fixtures
280 our basement is not a deep basement. The house was built on ground level & dirt brought in
281 We only have trouble when the Wood River flooded into Riverside Golf Course. No problem since siversion procedure was completed.
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282 we have lived here since 7/07
283 had problem 2 times after - small scale. Installed beaver system - cost of this & basement repair $18k. Best thing that happened they got North Rd!!!!
284 we haven't had a problem since extra pumping & more detention cells dug
285 None
286 I live in a mobile home so no basement.
287 None
288 none
289 do not have a basement. I live in a mobile home court.
290 I've lived here 10 yrs & have not had any water in basement. I hope it stays that way!
291 we have 2 pumps just depends on how high the water table gets
292 the building dept should never have let the developers build in the first place
293 I have sump pumps but that is because of the ground water. I believe the city has installed wells around Engleman some place. I have had water coming
even w/ 2 sump pumps running
294 we have not had any water in the basement since we moved here 4 1/2 yrs ago.
295 have 3' crawl space
296 Really not interested in any more tasxes, surcharges or fees for some project to perhaps solve a couple of home owners water issues. - Storm Shelter floor
elevation same as basement.
297 extended roof gutters away from house
298 yes, but only minimal damage in recent years we did have sewer backup from city's fault. We had to pay for damage, about $2,000.
299 partial basement. Using a floor pump to remove water since April. Temporarily helps, but ongoing for several months. Never had a problem before. This
water problem is the result of city of GI's decision to turn off all city wells in this area - no wat
300 I have a drainage system in my basement but have not needed to use it. The groundwater has risen approx 7' since I built in 1991 when we dug utilities
301 moved in house in 6/07. do not know history or last time water was an issue. But evidence of past water is evident.
302 I have groundwater at times in my well pit. I use a 1/6 HP pump to spot water lawn.
303 I believe that individuals should be responsible for their own basement water problems
304 have approx. 2 1/2 feet deep crawl space. Crawl space is dry. Have resided here 3 yrs this Jan 2nd within 1st 6 mos. had 2" standing. Today is 1st time I've
looked - been in basement since)
305 this is an abominable situation that none of you seem to care about. What would you be doing if it was YOUR basement??
306 I live beside a city detention cell when it gets so full my pump in the baseemnt runds, they city has a pump in it that can keep it down
307 no water problems since the wood river project
308 tri level home - day lite basement
309 never had a problem. Wasn't the wood river project suppose to eliminate any problems? What happened?
310 sealed all cracks used sealer on all walls & floors
311 I have a crawl space under my house
312 have no water problems!
313 my house is a split level - 1/2 basement never had any water. I'll move out of GI before I'll pay any additional tax to dewater basements. Lived in north
platte for 20 yrs. Built home with crawl space. City code: no basements on account of ground wat
314 problems are small compared to some. The solution to our groundwater problem would be to turn the city pumps on. I understand we can't do this due to
contamination of the wells. Has the city sought reimbursement from the industry that put the pollutant
315 crawl space - no basement
316 we have a beaver system that elliminates any intrusion. When the lake is up it does run….or with 4 inches of rain.
317 Our sand pit use to keep the water under control to a point. Since dredging lake on Harrison St & not using City wells around the City - basement worthless
either water or mold or both.
318 my basement is only 4' deep - below ground
319 We do not need a dewatering system in our area. It would mean a waste of money.
320 no water problems
321 storm protection - this home has a dry cemented crawl space - 4 1/2 ft deep
322 storm protection - this home has a dry cemented crawl space - 4 1/2 ft deep
31
323 I have an irrigation well down 33 feet. Water is 9 feet - when wet spots appeared in the cracks on basement floor I ran the pump 8 hours a day for a week
324 may 2005 was our last problem and we wer able to clear it out
325 foor is dry but sump runs every 40 seconds. We have lived here 10 yrs - measures have worked somewhat - sent letter
326 measures work sometimes. Set up districts and assess the benefiting property owners for the costs. I would be willing to pay $40-$60 per month to correct
the problem.
327 Not as long as we've lived here - our water has been close & we had a plumbaer install pumps that run & keep the water down. The plumber says it is right
under the basement floor.
328 had groundwater in basement during 1967 flood
329 we have a 5' crawl space. Crawl space is molding because of water table being very high. No sitting water, but ground is wet. For me this survey is hard to
answer because I don not have a basement. However I have a deep crawl space that the ground is
330 we used a submersible water pump
331 the city should not give a building permit for a basement. Home owners should pay for their own repairs - I do.
332 I have the B dry system. It has been helpful, but I did have water in the basement during the May '95 flood
333 we have a sump pump but doesn't help if level gets high enough. We live on hike/bike trail the pump on it does seem to help some
334 May '05 we had water coming into our window wells, up thru the basement drains and finally the groundwater! The test well behind helped this year we
think.
335 commercial building - no basement
336 commercial building - no basement
337 commercial building - no basement
338 moved here in '07- don't know about any past problems. Would like to have the problems fixed. It's terrible having standing water in the basement - health
problems
339 no problems - have a sump pump pit not ever had water in it - check often.
340 we came very close to having water in our basement. Our sump pump worked this time.
341 when we bought the house 8 yrs ago they had told us that it had water at one time.
342 we had groundwater & septic backup after the heavy rains in August. It took 2 weeks for water to stop coming in
343 only had a problem in 1967. I measure how far down the ground water is. Didn't have any this year - close, but none. When my husband was alive he
would measure & when it was getting high he would call the city to turn on the city well near us. When th
344 None
345 we built our own house & know about water levels. People should not have had basements or not put them in so deep I feel I shouldn't have to pay for other
people's mistakes.
346 Spending $23 million & $350k a year on a dewatering plan is CRAZY!!
347 I have lived in this house for 10 yrs. I have had water a few times - one time my gutters were not cleaned so water came in window. I do no believe
dewatering is the answer to this problem. I can live with mine. I believe building new homes in this ar
348 in Aug we had 3" of water in our basement for the 1st time since we built our house 5 yrs ago. We put in a sump pump which runs a lot, but is doing the job
keeping our basement dry.
349 4' crawl area only
350 wate started running in on 4/27/07. have had problems late winter, spring, summer, fall, not at present. Contracted to purchase thrasher basement system -
very costly. We will have a basement dewatering system installed. Scheduled for 12/5/07
351 have dehumidifiers & fans. We didn't get much water but it is the 1st time in over 20 yrs we've had any water in our basement
352 city put well along bike trail - no problems
353 I have lived in two houses (Bismark Rd & Memorial Dr) that had basements. Because of water problems I won't live in a house with a basement.
354 we have had this home since 1976. we do not have a finished basement, but we have water tanks in a small shelter under our bedroom & we have had water
since April.
355 the sewer backedup during the big storm. And it became my problem! We lost our whole basement & the city did nothing.
356 Filling in basement - has put in a beaver system & 3 sump pumps are running - water level hasn't changed.
357 dry around foundation & coated w/ water proofing. Can't say if measure have worked- no water at this point. Our house was built in 1951. we have lived
here since 1995. no evidence of water from previous flooding. Previous owner never mentioned proble
358 crawl space - GI needs to do something about the well situation
359 this spring was the first time we have had a water problem in our basement
360 sump - never had to use it
32
361 former owners had raised basement floors. Have not had problems until 2 yrs ago when we had 7-8 inch rainfall then had water seep into basement. When
dewatering well turned on water table went down. I suppose it would take the city as long to fix the p
362 crawl space - one in awhile have water in crawl space if we get a heavy rain
363 we've had to have city water put in so we could have safe drinking water
364 GI/ Hall County does not seem to have an effective long term storm drainage plan
365 yes we have water in basement now. The last time we had water was 4 years ago. City turned on well west & north of us, then to help & it did
366 mitigations usually work
367 we had to install a sump pump in our storm shelter
368 split level home
369 measures are in planning stage
370 we had water one time 8-9 yrs ago
371 this correction was made in spring/summer 1996
372 there is a dewatering well behind my house on the hike/bike tail that takes care of any water problems when it is started
373 in early 90's heavy spring rain caused oozing in basement for a few hours. No problems since
374 I think the only reason we had water is becaues Starostka dug big holes in front of our house and left them for 2 weeks while we had several inches of rain. I
have never had water before or since.
375 when contractors know it is a flood plain the city should not have given permission for basements!!!! They wouldn't have problems now.
376 No basement - no water
377 people who have no basement shouldn't have to pay for this problem. We basically live in a river bottom and can't expect not to have high groundwater
378 past problems were April - October '07. I have lived here since 1970. this is the only time I've had water. I think it's because of shutting off the well on
Blaine St. Why don't you use the Blaine Street well & pipe it to the generating plant & propos
379 split level home with moisture rising up in the crawl space & finsihed areas. Installed dehumidifier & replace dgutters w/ larger size
380 we have a garden level basement
381 occasionally have a problem - measures work up to a certain point
382 please turn the pump on to the holding cell on Stagecoach Rd & leave it on. It's still full of water because I pump 1k gallons + a day to it.
383 measures usually work. I have installed a sump pump. It usually takes care of the problem but this spring it did not. My sump pump continues to work
24/7!!!!
384 we have 2 sumps they ran from june to september. Not running now, still low water in sump holes
385 we had water at it's high point up to a level about 1 - 2 inches below the bottom of the basement concrete floor slab. It never soaked into the concrete.
386 sump pump pit is 1/2 full & water was only 3" below top level of pit this summer. Beginning in 1983 & several times since then even after wood river flood
project - sometimes measures taken work, but often not - sump pumps couldn't keep up. Snt Ltr
387 sometimes measures taken work
388 I don't think the city is responsible for people who have water in their basements
389 measure haven't been put to the test
390 haven't needed measure that were taken. House has sump pump under basement but I haven't used it
391 most people don't know what to do.a landscaper has tried 2x at a high cost to me.i am a single woman trying to make it on my own.the 1st yr here '02 no
problems.now I get water under & around egress window as well as the concrete blocks getting damp. I ru
392 Buyer Beware
393 we have minimal leakage. As long as the next door neighbors keep their sump pump going we are usually ok. We are just slightly higher than they are
394 I have lived here only 3 mos. but I moved from Gretchen Ave, where we had 3' of groundwater in the flood of 1967.
395 we have a crawl space - only approx. 4' tall
396 Due to the construction of this townhome (2 story w/ no basement) they will not have groundwater issues.
397 water everytime in spring
398 6' feet in ground - water in outdoor gravel bottom - storm shelter 2-3 times in 30 yrs.
399 problems once in 25 yrs
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400 None
401 problems once in 1983
402 some water in basement may 2007 after 9" rain
403 we had our basement filled in. We then had an addition added on to the house to make up for the lost basement
404 Our main problem is sanitary sewer backup from flood waters getting into sanitary sewer & not adequate pipe size of lift station
405 had water in basement once for about 10 days several years back
406 I rent my apt. from Oconnor Enterprises
407 home is 14 yrs old, foundation tilted with sump pump. The sump has always been dry we've never had to pump
408 only measure was to apply waterproof coating near top of wall
409 we have had water within 10' of our house with seepage in our 4' crawl space
410 we have a beaver system - never had to use it
411 at the time of the flood we had about 2' of water in the crawl space. Since then it's completely dry - we service the septic tank yearly - no evidence of water.
412 patrial for furnace & air conditioner and storm shelter. There is a sump pump. We have only owned this home since 6/1/06
413 when the detention cell west of us is overflowing the water table is so high our basement floods - pumps can't keep up
414 no problems before this summer, expect measures to work but won't know until next spring. The city's decision to shut down city wells w/out compensating
for the impact to the water levels was quite damaging to the area.
415 we have lived in this house for 3 yrs & have had water problems since the heavy rains in May of '05. The basement shows water damage from past years.
Approx. 18" from the floor
416 we have lived in this house for 3 yrs & have had water problems since the heavy rains in May of '05. The basement shows water damage from past years.
Approx. 18" from the floor
417 storm shelter below first floor. Sump pump installed no history of water. Also 4' crawl space under entire home - no history of water
418 we have a sump pump but have never had to use it, and the sump well is okay
419 we installed a beaver system when we built in 1995, but never had to use it
420 have not had to use the sump pump drain stystem since I built the house in 1995
421 no basement - have crawl space - no water problems
422 had sewer backup in '05 or '06 when all the area flooded
423 have 2 pumps what a mess when the ground water comes up family room, storage, son's bedroom, & computer room all get wet & smell
424 we just bought this house in May 2007. we don't know if there has been any previous problems
425 we have never had ground water in our basement so mitigate? We purchased this house in 1985 & have never had water in the basement.
426 None
427 other homes around us have some groundwater problems, but luckily our home is built up
428 I rent this duplex - there is a partial basement but I can't get to it. Mrs. Kay Grimminger owns these
429 crawl space. Don't know of any problems only lived here 6 mos.
430 basement is 3' deep. My husband & I are vehemently AGAINST a dewatering plan! It's too expensive! Let the farmers drill new wells
431 have heard some neighbors complain about water in basements. Sometimes rains water stands in little creek close by Stewart & Sunny Brooke Rd on Circle
Dr - off of Stolley Park RD
432 Grand Island is built on the Platte River. This should be an online survey. Offer $60k to affected homeowners to fill in basement/add on - will be cheaper in
the long run.
433 people didn't build high enough - otherwise most in my neighborhood hav eno problems. Good luck
434 during our new construction we raised our ground level of the house. We have a sump pit in basement and in 15 yrs it has never been wet.
435 I have a beaver system in the basement floor - never needed to be pumped
436 crawl space 4 1/2 foot - not aware of any problems
437 only on big rains - 7" on
438 we have a crawl space under our house - no problems
439 I'm in the flood plain and pay a lot of insurance, taxes are high and GI should take measures in getting all of GI out of the flood plain
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440 our house is built above the flood plain.
441 the problem we have is when the water drains out of the state ditch into storm sewer & floods the street
442 rent duplex from Lamar Enterprises (Omaha) Jim Rector owner. Have no idea on last 2 questions.
443 we haven't had groundwater intrusion for a number of years since the wood river was channeled
444 I still have water on floor in my basement. My sump pump is running steadily. I have had water since April. If my pump quits the sump will overflow bad.
445 mitigation installed 1985. controlled groundwater until 2007. in the 28 years we lived in this house we have not pumped/had groundwater past June. Pur
pump still runs several times daily to date in 2007.
446 built house high enough to avoid
447 built house high enough to avoid
448 the basement flooded the year before we moved into the house 1994. use sump pump to keep it down others in near by house have also done the same
449 we have a sump pump and a drainage pipe around the outside of our basement. We have only lived here 4 mos. but the town house is about 10 yrs old & no
problems so far.
450 basement is 4' in ground
451 I have a large concern about the continuous pumping of my neighbor. My concern is related to this pumping in th winter and the effect that this winter will
have on the street as the water begins to freeze. I understand the need to pump water to keep her
452 not sure on other questions. We rent & there is a sump pump down there. Never really had much of any water get in.
453 now plagued with mold & medical bills. Have had water since 4/07 - still have 5 1/2 inches with 3 pumps running. About $300 electric bills in summer
454 we have a beaver system under our basement
455 drain tiles & pit were built with condo
456 we put in a sand pump (point) and punched 2 holes in basement floor to syphon water to a temporary sump pump
457 previous owner installed a sump pump. I ran it only once since 1994. it filled up after heavy rains this summer
458 Molle system in place - 2 sump pumps
459 just moved into this house 2 wks ago. Don't think there were past problems, not sure.
460 all water drains from street & neighbors houses right into my yard. I must do $5k of landscaping to fix it.
461 sand point installed 1998 - in both sides of duplex. Lived here 9 yrs. Has some water couple of years, just leakage. 2007 has been pretty bad w/ both
basements having 1-3 inches of water 3 times during the year.
462 I've only lived here 8 mos. I pumped water for 6 weeks. Everyone in this condo area has water problems
463 no problem
464 surface measure taken
465 Oakwood condos were built with systems under basement floors - water has never entered system. We have never had water in our basement system. Our
builder didn't put our basement as deep as others in the area.
466 nover had any water problems
467 we live in a condo - our common wall neighbor has a beaver system. Groundwater is not too far from our basement floor - I'm guessing a foot to a foot and a
halft - so far so good.
468 these O'Connor one story duplexes have tornado shelters in ground. 2827 Cross Ponte where we live is dry at present but we have had wet walls & floor.
469 the city of grand island should not dewater any area having ground water problems. Individuals should be responsible for their own problems
470 We had issues with groundwater when living in our previous home at 4227 Utah Ave, but none while in our present home.
471 sump pump in basement
472 we own & have lived in our duplex at 2905-2911 Circle Dr for 30 yrs. Over the years we have experienced some seepage in both units. This past spring and
summer was the longest stretch of time that we had it occuring off and on. We were able to keep it
473 storm cellar 9x9. we have a sump pump in our small cellar. We've lived here 10 yrs. When we lived at 2748 Oflannagan we had a terrible problem of
basement flooding. If you're interested please call
474 have crawl space. This is a rental that belongs to Rector Families LLC
475 Water problems were due to plugged gutter - no further problems once gutter was cleaned. Basement is only 4 ft below ground level
476 we raised our house in 1973 four feet to get out of the water.
477 measures have worked so far! Put in a dewatering system in 1996 - drought conditions helped keep water level down until the City let developers put a lake
in across the road. Now ground water is continually chased.
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478 I did not appreciate my land & business being devalued by sloppy reporting. Owner & landlord since '77. never had water. Please don't do us "dry" owners
another disservice by grouping us all together as the Independent did.
479 I did not appreciate my land & business being devalued by sloppy reporting! Owner & LL since '77. nwever had water. Please do not do us "dry" owners
another disservice by grouping us all together as the Independent did.
480 sent letter
481 sump pump keep swater level down to basement floor
482 just moved here - it looks like there is some water damage in one room. Have a sump pump
483 our house is built up about 2 1/2 - 3 feet. Our crawl space is 6 cement blocks. Our neighbors (back door) Jim Roberg- Sothman Dr has pumped water from
their basement
484 haven't yet taken measures, but will need to
485 we have a sump pump & after heavy rains do get water in the pit. We have never had water flow into the basement but the water level has been close to the
basement.
486 If new cracks occur then we have more problems. Installed a Molley Beaver System in 1993
487 I live on a 3rd floor apartment
488 sump pump has not stopped running since 7/07. not sure how well measures are working
489 3 inches or more floods the park south of our house. Brentwood Pl drains west instead of east to the ditch causing most of the flooding.
490 minimal problems in the past
491 people build new houses around sand pits, near lakes & rivers & know that the problems exist or can occur. The public should not have to pay for the
homeowner's or builder's disregard for common sense.
492 when the sump pump needed repaired we had groundwater problems. The people that lived in this home before I did had problems & had a sump pump put
in
493 apartment - 3rd floor
494 live in apartment - no basement. Going to move - no opinion on subject.
495 Knowing we were in a flood plain the house was built w/o a basement & above flood plain levels. No public money should be spent for people who bought
or built in these areas without taking that into account.
496 I currently live in an apartment building (ground level) and I have had no problems with this!
497 I have no basement
498 I do not feel that I should have to pay for water removal in some one else's basement
499 problems on 2 occasions since 1996
500 we have no basement at this address
501 partial bsmnt-mold in house-measures have worked somewhat it's still a mess. Thrasher (Omaha) wants $2500 to fix things up I paid the fee to drain water
into storm sewer. Seems like a waste of resources-please turn the wells on & pump to the Platt
502 I have a crawl space and built it to flood level specs according to city code. There has been major water in our area but my crawl space stayed dry with out
sand bagging
503 I live on the 3rd floor of an apartment building.
504 basement apartment - measures have worked so far.
505 we live in an apt buidling on the 2nd floor. My boyfriend & I share an apt at this address. It is on the 2nd floor of the Chalet Apts so we don't have a
problem with a basement.
506 lived in basement apt for 8 yrs - no problems so far
507 the housees in our area of town do not have basements due to high groundwater levels. Neighbors say they have had it in crawl spaces before, but we haven't
since buying the house in '95.
508 the only time we get water is when we get a big amount of rain & the groundwater is already high. We use a sump pump when necessary.
509 we installed a system to pump from under basement. With the wood river project we are mostly dry. This wet summer was an exception we were damp but
no water in basement
510 crawl space
511 I have no water on the floor but would have if the pump failed
512 The people that have water problems can vote for dewatering wells. I have no problem so do not TAX me for their misfortune.
513 we do not have a basement. However we do have flooding problems in our garage, living room, and utility room. This is fault of HCA. They will not fix
problem
514 we would like to put in a basement, but we know that the neighbors have pumped water out of theirs all summer.
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515 By law I could have put in a basement, but ground water in area has ALWAYS been a problem. DON’T BAIL OUT ANYONE! NOT CITY'S PROBLEM!
516 we do not hav a basement
517 have a beaver system that's worked well in the past
518 specific areas of GI should not be permitted to have basements
519 crawl space
520 we had an expensive system put in but we worry about the electricity going out which oeprates our system. It also is expensive to run the system.
521 use sump pump have had water twice during 16 yrs highest 1/2-3/4 inch
522 10 yrs ago we had problems. Installed 2 sump pumps. Have not had to use them. I have owned this house for 5 yrs. I haven't had water in my basement in
this time.
523 sent letter
524 worst in 2007 - if continues we'll have to take measures
525 we have lived here only 3 mos but have not seen or heard anything about such a problem at this residence.
526 we have a sump to mitigate water problems. I ran it 10 yrs ago but have not since.
527 we were very upset about water being pumped into lake in brentwood. It raised the groundwater level and contributed to our current problem. There are
many people pumping water this year that never have before. Any questions please contact us. We have
528 the builders did a good job when our house was built. Solid foundation & fill set up to drain water away from foundation
529 I have lived in this home since 1982 & hasve not had problems to this point
530 previous owner had problems. I would gladly pay a monthly fee if that is what it takes to pump the water table down.
531 partial basement - 5' into ground
532 have a crawl space
533 built house without a basement when we built 10 yrs ago. We were advised of flooing & potential of high ground water levels.
534 we have an on going problem with water intrusion. We are constantly pumping ground water.
535 it is my understanding when my home was built, it was built up higher on foundation to get away from groundwater intrusions.
536 when we built home we put in a drainage system. Also drilled & gravel filled thru a clay pan problem that caused water to stand
537 taxpayers should not have to bail out people with water problems - in low areas of town.
538 6' deep basement. We are living in the Platte River Valley - it's a low area & we will always have groundwater problems in some areas of town.
539 please fix drainage problems in field south of us so our ditch isnt' full of water from the pump running!
540 we have a sump pump it runs every 3-4 minutes
541 we are utilitzing a beaver system which has been effective
542 when it rains flows to my intersection it goes to the lawn and forces water to come up in my basement.
543 in 1999 spent $7500 on drain tile system with 3 sump pumps draining in to backyard. System ran non stop may thru aug of '07
544 no problem
545 have a sump pump - it's never run. Our house was newly built in 2006
546 I pay an extra $50-$60 a month for the 2 sump pumps it takes to keep the water out. My basement smells damp even though I have 2 dehumidifiers running.
547 haven't used mitigation measures as of yet
548 I've lived here for 14+ years and have never had a problem with groundwater
549 the only time we've had problems was 10+ years ago. The drainage ditch to the south of us need to be cleaned out and since that was done we had no more
problems, but it needs done again! Thank you!
550 Tom Ummel Jr - owner of property.
551 1966 Flood - 1 inch of seepage - none since then. House located on the high ground in the block.
552 no basement
553 4' crawl space - in the past have had up to 9" of water in it
554 salon business - no problems
555 we have a molley system - works for the most part. We have had water 3 times in the last 18 yrs because the sump pumps couldn't keep up
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556 this is a commercial building with no basement. We have not had trouble with groundwater as of yet
557 tri level home. Last time we had problems was in 1986. thankful we have no full basement. We're only 3 1/2 -4' in ground, but we've had wtaer twice since
1976.
558 have no basement
559 we've had water in our basement off & on since 1967. we raised the whole east side of our basement installing perforated pipes to drain to the west side &
pump out.
560 flood project worked in my neighborhood
561 end of May '07 we had 3 inches of water throughout the entire length of our basement. We pumped it out.
562 we aer new to Grand Island - seem strange it would take the city so long to correct a long existing problem. Welcom, Mr. Pederson.
563 Our home is 2 yrs old & was built with the city code de-watering system
564 No ground water problem. Had a basement backup problem during flood 2 years ago.
565 can't use basement because of groundwater - what a waste. Insurance company doesn't want to do anything. I have a big family and NEED the extra rooms,
but can't use them because of ground water.
566 no basement - I live in an upstairs apartment
567 GI msut be very concerned about the under ground water supply. Soon it will be lost to us
568 rental unit condo. Sump pump installed basement 10% of structure
569 recently built - storm shelter. Small 6x6 below grade shelter off garage for potential storm problems
570 I have owned two different homes - both had water problems. I installed 2 water systems costing me about $15k. I feel this should be each ones own fix -
not tax payers fix. Who don't?
571 no basement - we have a fruit cellar in the ground about 3'. We have lived here 37 years and had water table up that high 3 times.
572 we still ge groundwater, but it isn't as bad as it was before the beaver system
573 sump pump on stand by at all times! Quit having this worthless council do studies and surveys! Just get rid of the stinch out here before anymore school
bonds, jail bonds, etc. are passed! It is annoying and a disgrace for air quality!
574 have not had trouble after water level went down
575 we did install a mitigation measure but when the groundwater level was so high we still had a little water seep in. If the groundwater levels should rise to the
heights like back in 1984-86 and again in 93-94 we would probably have water on the floor. T
576 the B-DRY system put in 8/93 with 3 pumps. The ground water level has been lower and the system was tested 3 times for short periods in the years
following. We can depend on the groundwater lowering when the farmer starts irrigating south of our house.
577 we have had water come up in the sump. The water came up in the sump but didn't get deep enough to start the pump. We do have a problem with surface
water during a heavy rain. The storm sewer isn't large enough to take it all and North Road is too high
578 we have had water 5 times in our basement but not recently. Our basement is ruined we have 1 sump pump there
579 my house is built up higher than a lot of them
580 I have lived here for 26 yrs and the flood of May 2005 is the 1st and only time we have had groundwater in the basement. We had about 3 inches of water
581 ground water came very close to our basement floor level this summer - within inches
582 installed drainage system with 2 sump pumps. Hasn't run for several years but worked 1 year since installation
583 only lived here 6 mos. We have a sump pump
584 1993 had water in basement - ruined carpet, but nothing since then
585 Have a beaver system - have sump pump attached but as water table has dropped past several years pump has not cycled
586 know the groundwater level before you buy. We bought a sump pump but never used it. Water was 4" below basement floor. I believe everyone is
responsible for their own water problems
587 spring of '97 was very wet & groundwater was high. Our house was built with a beaver system to collect & pump out water. We used it that spring for 1 day
because the water was just below the floor level
588 the previous owners put in drain tile around basement perimeter and added an additional sump pump
589 I have a beaver system but the water level has been down the last few years. If it ever got as high as in the 1980's I'd have problems
590 finished basement completely ruined due to water 6"-8" high for 3 months.
591 cannot pay for a dewatering system. Plus if outside water gets too high this system will have to turn off to avoid walls caving in.
592 we have lived here since 1987 we have had 1" water in some part of basement, not all over, three times. We glued down thin carpet/water proof glue easy to
clean up.
593 I used one sump pump there was always some water in basement - low or deep - for about 5-6 years. Replaced furnace about 1983
594 when building basement under floor drainage system was installed. Had to run pump in pre-installed gathering pit for 2 days in May of 2005
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595 beaver system installed
596 new housing in our location is higher than our property. Water drainage in area is not right. Utility/trail easement not done.
597 when we installed a dewatering system it was a two pump system. Even with a two pump system it was unable to keep up with the amount of water coming
into the basement
598 house has basin but not plumbed (no pump) in unti - house fairly new
599 measures work fairly well
600 city has taken measures. We have not had groundwater problems since city placed well or something in northwest area of city
601 don’t know if measures work - never needed in 3 mos. of owning home
602 rain drainage in our egress windows
603 my house is split level
604 we just moved in here 5/07. there is a beaver system. We have had water 3 times since moving in. We did figure out a couple of solutions. We are sure we
will have more problems.
605 Waste of time & money you'll do whatever you want anyway. Would rather the time spent on getting paychecks out on time!!!!
606 we only get water in the basement when it rains a lot
607 lived in house over 5 yrs - have never had a problem
608 just moved in this summer. Measures work as far as we know.
609 beaver/tile drainage system installed $$
610 house was built at higher level
611 I have neighbors with basements that have and have had groundwater intrusion problems
612 it has a dewatering system - but we have not had to use it.
613 mitigation measures worked most o fhte time. I put a beaver system in in 1985. had water on floor in summer of 1993 & close other times
614 I have no basement, but I was flooded out in '05 because the city did not take care of the silver creek
615 we have as much of a concern/problem with drainage from about ground-when rain comes and the water has no where to go-as we do with concerns about
groundwater. We are ver concerned about damage to our home from either of these sources.
616 are on privates wells here & septic systems
617 we have lived at this address for over 12 yrs and have never had groundwater in our basement
618 how will a dewatering plan affect my private well??
619 new house, beaver system installed during construction. Never water problems, not even in system holding bins. Not in flood zone
620 my house is built up off & above the street with beaver plumbing under floor. Never had to pump
621 we have lived here 7 yrs and have had no problems
622 New home - built up over crown of road. Beaver system installed.
623 lower level no water problems. Everyone with water problems put in a beaver system. I guess it works well for them. Big wells will pump the water down
where there is no problem and not do any good where the problem is. Everyone with water problems sho
624 my 35" dep sump has 13" of water in the bottom as of 11/15/07
625 have a crawl space
626 built the lot up. Don't build basements in low area - old drain, slough area & check before you buy/build
627 Neighbors on both sides of us and across the street have all had water problems
628 problems with surface water. Sent letter.
629 newly constructed house (Nov '06) house built up higher than ground lever - 3 to 4'. Dirt filled in around house slopping outward from house- beaver system
installed in house when built
630 house was built on a raised level we have poor street drainage.
631 I have purchased 2 sump pumps but they have not kept up with the ground water coming in several times in the past.
632 our neighbors have had problems
633 concerned w/ stagnatn water. We have a crawl space. We are concerned w/ surface flooding & poor drainage.
634 we have sump pump & serves it's purpose
635 I can't answer the last question as I have not had any water problems to know whether the drain tile installed works - I'm assuming it does. My home was
built in 02-03
636 we have not had problems - but others on our street have
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637 buy the highest house in your neighborhood and psend money on a dewatering system when you buy a house.
638 there's only one house on this block with a basement
639 I have a crawl space at my home
640 use of sump pump
641 we put in a thrasher system
642 we put in a trasher system
643 we moved here in 1999 and have had no water problems so far.
644 drainage problem from groundwater is horrible in our backyard. Sometimes the utility cases are more than 1/2 covered with with water. These are the ones
that feed 1/2 our block
645 building codes shouldn't allow basements in some parts of town. I don't feel all of us should have to pay for this problem. When houses are sold the buyers
should be told of groundwater problems.
646 Have never had water in the basement
647 our house is 3 yrs old & the previous owners didn't put on downspout off shoots so we got water through one of our windows this summer
648 in cellar
649 this is new construction so I don't know if I will have water in the basement - we do have a sump pump
650 the ditch behind our house needs to be redone so that water drains properly
651 we have never had ground water problems and will never have ground water problems in the future.
652 no basement because of high groundwater. We built a new house in 1994 w/ foundation only because of high ground water in this area. Did not want
problems!
653 installed sump pump this August, water was 12" from the top of the floor. Is now 20" from top of floor. Don't think sump pump will help any
654 I worry about the rising ground water. I've never lived in a house with a basement before.
655 have beaver system
656 the house is 4 yrs old so code required drains were installed. No problems with water in the past 3 yrs we've lived here.
657 we took into account the high water table when we built our house. We have had no problems.
658 we have w sump pump if water gets too high
we still get water
659 have never had any ground water problems
660 4' crawl space. Problems especially with flood & now all water bgeing pushed on us due to new housing development. Plan to call Thrashers to see if we
can afford a sump pump. To the east of our property the ditch is not cared for - weeds & junk help im
661 our builder of our house did a good job to avoid wate rin the basement issues. We only have water in the backyard issues which are the direct result of poor
development of the neighborhood.
662 this is a new construction house. We moved in in February of this year.
663 had water in 1993, year our house was built. Small amount in basement.
664 Groundwater at freedom acres subdivision is 20+ feet below surface. Never been closer than 10'
665 even when we had the 10" rain we didn't have groundwater problems
666 have beaver system w/ 2 sump pits. Works usually but has not been able to handle the flow several times in the past. Ground water has cost me approx.
$50k in damage in last 22 yrs. of living here.
667 just completed our updates and there has not been any rain since.
668 we have only lived in our new constructed house for 2 yrs. And have not had to run the system yet. But we do have a standing water problem in our yard &
the park behind us. Poor drainage planning on the subdivision plans.
669 on borderline area for flooding during severe rain storms
670 just built our house & moved in weekend of 11/23/07
671 we built the house in 2003. additional precautions to guard against water infiltration were taken. Window well drains, internal & external drain tile, less
depth of basement relative to normal depth. No wtaer problems have been experienced.
672 only once in the past
673 have 4" tile under the basement floor leading to sump pump.
674 new home design with under floor and perimeter drain tile, drains to sump pit with sump pump
675 Split level home - lowest level is 3 foot below ground. So far no water problems - not egven during the flood
676 have sump pumps
40
677 power outage disables system
678 we put in a beaver system. But haven't had groundwater problems for a few years.
679 Drain Tile/Beaver System. Just moved here 8/07 so it's hard to answer some of these. Home is 3 yrs old, has had no water that time as far as I know.
680 have lived at this address for 2 yrs
681 concrete slab, no basement. Water level very high almost comes in front door when rains
682 think the measures taken are working but don't know we haven't had water problems in our area since. We put in a $6k dewatering system - 3 big pumps &
it started in 1983 - had 7 pumps running Easter Sunday morning of 1984. Water again in 1997 & then ins
683 have owned home for 20 yrs - no water problems unless heavy rians. We then have water in window wells and some seepage through blocks
684 have a storm shelter under sun room. Have lived here close to 3 yrs. Hav enot had water in there.
685 we moved here in 1993 (summer). No one told us about past ground water problems in Capital Heights. We had problems in 93 & 98.
686 our sump pump does keep up with the water most of the time. However, we are having more & more times when the sump pump can't keep up.
687 the measures I did take worked after the city or county installed wells & pumps & pipe to lower water level which I think were about 2 to 3 wells for whole
area
688 water problems were very close this year - few inches below the floor. Would have had 6' of water in the basement in 1984 if I had not been pumping.
Knocked a hole in the basement floor at it's lowest point many years ago & pumped out of that hole. Had
689 home has drainage system & we installed a sump pump the first year we were here. No problems since '96 & '97
690 the only time we had water in basement was several years ago when had so much rain 1/2 the town shut down.
691 a concrete drainage ditch runs along my property line - works very well.
692 this is a new house we only have been in it since May
693 I have a crawl space but have never had ground water problems
694 we have only lived here since July so we haven't had any problems yet
695 didn't do any mitigation
696 we have 2 sumps & pits to pump water out as soon as it gets in the pits. We haven't had any water in the pits in 7 yrs - still dry!
697 have only been in this house for 6 years. Ther is a history of water problems
698 it's been a long time and it don't work well so we took it off and using city water.
699 bought home in 6/07 - home has sump pump & beaver system - no water intrusion problems to date
700 problems in 80-81. since the city compelted the channel system in Capital Heights we have had zero problems
701 split level - 4th level. Problems briefly in 1983
702 in the past, we had flooding in the basement but a beaver system was installed. Only problems now are when electricty goes out…pump stops working
703 no problem as the wood river project took care of any problems
704 put 5 12" holes 30" deep in basement floor with pumps. Helped some but did not keep it dry. When the land on east side of Independence was farmed and
the irrigation well was turned on, it would drop our water level down to where our holes would be dry.
705 have never had water problem at this location
706 garden level house
707 the pumps you installed in our area have helped a lot - Thank you.
708 1980's ran 2 sump pumps & 1 skimmer pump for 3-4 months. 1990's ran 1 sump pump for 1-2 months
709 as a taxpayer, I (we) would be willing to pay for dewatering processes in the city of Grand Island. The cost of health care with water issues, ie mold, is
unmeasureable.
710 we just moved in 10/07 & are not aware of any problems or measures taken
711 have not had water problems since dewatering wells were drilled in this area
712 I have 5 sump pumps, this year they ran almost all summer long
713 no basement - no water in cellar
714 basement is garden level not a full depth basement
715 garden level basement - groundwater level was 28" from top of ground in front yeard next to the house
716 We do not have a basement but have had water before in the crawl space.
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717 when the drainage ditch was changed so the water drained out to North Rd the water problem was solved
718 we had bad water problems in 1995 or 1996. they did work in our area to help & since then we have had very little water in the basement for the last 10
years.
719 put in a tile system under basement floor. Works as long as water table does not get too high.
720 We pray that it will work if necessary. Haven't needed it in about 10 years.
721 thanks for asking & monitoring.
722 have a beaver system - sump pump runs continuously every few minutes. After the dewatering well was installed out in our area, a few years ago ground
water problems stopped in a very short time. They have not returned. We support dewatering wells (pump
723 only 1 time did we have problems in 30 yrs. We only had water in the basement one time - 1984 I think. We don't want to pay for a groundwater system.
724 we only had water 1 time in 1984 or 1985/86 began on Good Friday. The water table was very high in NW GI that spring
725 we built up dirt around our foundation and added another down spout. So far no more water!
726 have a sump pump - not sure if it helps
727 All of our neighbors got water in their basements the flooding of May '05 except us.
728 have owned this home one year and during the heavy rains and area flooding. We were dry.
729 when we had water for 2 yrs back in late 80's the city didn't worry about it then. So why do you now??
730 twice there was minimal water in different places since 2002
731 we have not had any water in our basement since we moved here in 1992
732 I think something should be done to eliminate this problem
733 I have a split level house with a shallow basement. If I had a deeper basement I'm sure my water problems would be worse
734 we just have a crawl space. It may get damp I don't know
735 1983 had ground water intrusions
736 put in 3 sump pumps
737 We had water in the early '80s
738 in 1983 we had 2 inches of water on our basement floor for 2 weeks. In 1993 about 1 inch for a week we used floor sump pumps to get rid of it.
739 only lived here 18 mos. We have a sump pump and there is a city dewatering well next door that has run 24/7 since April.
740 had water in basement short time in 80's. No problem since
741 septn $6k on b-dry system with corogated pipe under basement floor. Alos, have dewatering well on our street which helps immensely for all neighbors.
742 new gutters
743 After heavy rains we have water come up thru our well. So far we've only used shop vac to clean up.
744 problems in 1993. we have a sump pump and a second hole for another pump. I am concerned that water has risen to within 3 feet of the surface in our
second hole. If we have a wet spring, I'm guessing we could have problems.
745 sent page letter
746 we had water in our basement in 1984 & 1994 and we placed sand points thru the basement floor - they have been removed
747 high elevation - good drainage ditch
748 sump pumps run occassionally. Sump pumps help & dewatering well in the area helps the most. No major problems since it was put in
749 lived here since 8/05. our sump pump is 10 1/2' below ground level. In the 2 years living here I haven't seen any water in the well yet.
750 we have lived in this home with a full basement for 34 years & have never had water in our basement. The city needs to stay out of this.
751 intrusion problem once in 1984
752 I believe measures have worked - we will see
753 I have not had problems with water intrusion in my crawl space. My ditch out fornt sometimes has problems since my neighbor to the east doesn't have a
good drain under his driveway
754 no problems that we know of - purchased 9/04. previous owner put in 3 sump pits
755 in 1983 we used 3 sump pumps to pump 3k gallons a day from water below the basement floor. Carpet was wet
756 last incident was in 1993. prior was 1984. installed "B dry" system w/ 2 pumps
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757 our water intrusion problems are minor. Our basement is for storage only. We keep everything up on wood pallets. Rarely do we have more than a puddle.
758 no problems with water in basement
759 Ground water intrusion is a natural occurrence & is the responsibility of the land owner to correct or prevent. GI SHOULD NOT be involved when these
limited number of intrusions are known to be possible before construction/purchase of said property.
760 we keep good down spouts to take water from house
761 measures taken - purchased a home w/out water problems. Am strongly opposed to city paying for dewatering for several reasons.
762 we just moved in so we don't know if there has ever been water in the basement
763 we got wet-damp no standing water in the 80's. Never since!
764 let farmers pump ther water rather than the city
765 I am opposed to any plan that would require involuntary participation
766 garden level
767 We moved here in 1992. there were sump pumps installed already. We haven't had problems.
768 no problems
769 mitigation worked but would be concerned if water table rose any highter than it has.
770 my groundwater is usually between five & six feet at the sidewalk. The plumber told me.
771 performed pumping of groundwater. Don't use tax dollars to pump down the acquifier, it is a waste of money. If people want to attempt to alter nature let
them use their own money
772 split level
773 city opened drainage cell so it would drain. This solved our problem. You would have better response if you had enclosed a return envelope.
774 our basement is shallower than many others.
775 I have not lived here very lone (1 1/2 yrs) so can't relate to any problem except that we hear the sump pump start every so often
776 prior to the building of the wood river diversion canal I got groundwater in my basement only when wood river was at flood stage. Since the canal has been
in place I have no problem
777 our hosue seems to set up higher in our yard - water usually gathers in our back yard. We have 3 sump pumps
778 don't know past problems/presently purchase home
779 neighbors on all sides of us have experienced water in their basements. We have just been fortunate to date.
780 I have lived here for 10+ years and have not had water. Close once in 1997 I believe. But my basement has had approx. 12" of water sometime in the 80's.
781 tri-level home - beaver system
782 there has been a dewatering well installed across the street at residence
783 after I added an additional sump pump (now have 3) city put in a well in our area. I have not pumped water since - around 7-8 yrs ago
784 no problems in the 6 yrs we have lived here. It appears there were groundwater problems in this neighborhood and this house prior to installation of the
drainage ditch between Manchester Rd & Laramie St.
785 we never had water in basement have a beaver system but hasn't run for 5 yrs after city put in detention centers
786 no basement crawl space only - no water problems
787 Should be sent only to areas with basements
788 do not have a basement
789 have lived here since 2002 and had no problem - do have a sump pump - never used it
790 problem was very bad until we got the dewatering well. We probably would have groundwater in our basement right now, but we have a dewatering well in
our back yard. We aver VERY grateful for this
791 we don't have groundwater problems, but we do get water in our basement from Engleman School runoff druing moderate to heavy reains
792 measures have worked so far - we got a beaver system in the back half of our basement
793 only lived in home 2 yrs
794 problems in '84 from Easter to July 4th & in '94/'95 briefly - less than a month. Have 1 sump pump and the well in our area helps
795 I rent & took measures myself - you know how landlords are in the town, rent don’t fix anything. Heavy rain - walls cinder block - water seeping through -
last flood soaked soil outside & sewer street backup to basement sink & run out on floor. Quite wh
796 lived here 4 yrs and have had none of the above problems
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797 I have lived here for 18 months. What has happened in the past I don't know.
798 bi-level - I have to control too much rainwater due to heavy rains.
799 we have a garden level house but have not had a problem
800 we have a split level
801 we built up dirt around the foundation which helps unless we have a lot of rain all at one time
802 druing flood had problems. Only had water once since we lived here the past 31 yrs. It was in '92 or '93 when we had a lot of rain
803 against dewatering developer, buyers & sellers should be responsible
804 every time we get a heavy rain the street floods & runds into my basement. Also through basement floor.
805 I have lived in this house for 50 yrs. Not yet had problems but they built my basement high & only 1/2 basement. Do not live in it. Storage only.
806 haven't had water since 1993
807 ground water has been within twelve inches of our basement floor before the wood river diversion project. This fall (2007) it was within 24 inches of the
floor.
808 the sump pump I had installed several years ago probably presents ground water intrusion this spring/summer.
809 had problems before the flood control project the city has. No problems in basement since the flood control project on the wood river was completed.
810 have a crawl space that has had problems
811 storm cellar only - no problems to my knowledge. I've only lived here since 11/06
812 south GI is in the original Platte River & will have ground water with about average rainfall. Dewatering is a waste of money
813 newer construction - builder took measures
814 we have owned the property since 3/03. never had a problem previous owner said he put a sant point well in around 1986 or 87. had to run it 24 hrs. a day
for several days shortly after installation. He had no problem after that year. Nwever ran it aft
815 we have not had problems, but have pumps installed in case this becomes an issue
816 never very much for problems - none this year. It has never been a problem. Water level was close a couple of times a few years ago, but not this year.
817 I placed a large sump pump in the middle of my basement floor in 1993. it lowered the water level which was just below the basement floor. If we had a
significant rainfall during this period it would not have been enough to keep water out of the basemen
818 Grand Island has had ground water problems for years. We built our home in 1975 and knew about the ground problem. We elevated our home 2 feet and
then put in partial basement 7 foot deep. 7 foot basement keeps us from having groundwater problems
819 minor problems starting in July '07, have only lived in house since 1/06. I installed a sump pump in early 8/07 - now have 2. since then, I've had very minor
(a bit of dampness along outer wall in one corner) on a few occasions. I assume my response is
820 don't have water problems - have no basement
821 have not had groundwater problems since we have lived here 28 yrs
822 had ground water in basement - once in the 11 yrs we have lived here
823 no water in basement since flood of '67. however have water on the floor of garage (detached) quite often, even though there is no rain or reason for it.
824 just moved in 8/07. from what I can tell there has never ben groundwater in the basement
825 previous owner had sump pit installed after flood in 70's or 80's. Been in house since 2000. have had no problems
826 we had seepage from the flood of '67. that was the only time. Pier lake flooded
827 replaced gutters - added dirt
828 in 1967 seepage thru cracks 6-10" deep. Have never been dumb enough to finish basement as apparetnly many others have. Responsibility and cost should
fall on developers of flooded basement properties - building dept & planning people are equally respons
829 sump pump has worked so far
830 I think people should check into things before they buy, not after stuff happens then expect everyone to help pay for it.
831 Have lived at this address since 1974 and have never had water in our basement.
832 there hasn't been water in our basement since the floods in 60's- we've had no problem since we've owned this house. Basement walls & floors are sealed w/
cement paint.
833 I feel that the property owner should be responsible for their property. I have had to pay for all repairs & improvements personally.
834 don't have a basement
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835 crawl space
836 we do have a sump pump system in place. It has never needed to operate
837 why does the city & county continue to allow building homes in areas with groundwater problems (basements). The odor problem in GI is still a BIG
problem (25 yrs)
838 New home, moved into home 11/2001, has 2 sump pumps. They've never kicked on. French Drains (3) in backyard - works pretty well in a heavy rain.
839 never had ground water
840 past problems are unknown. In the 5 yrs I've lived here, I have had no problems with water intrusions
841 I have lived here 5 years & haven't had problems. I have a sump pump but don't know if that matters or not.
842 None
843 we have a sump pump hole but no pump. This year we had a little water come into the hole, but it dried up & no harm done
844 we also own island inn - 2311 S Locust St
845 partial basement
846 I have owned my house for approx. 2 yrs. There are water marks on the basement walls about 3" up - so, there was groundwater intrusion problem at one
time. I was told the house was in a flood zone prior to the wood river re-routing project. I also inst
847 not sure if mitigation measures have worked
848 sump pump in basement when we moved in 7 1/2 yrs ago. We believe water was in basement years ago. No water in basement in past 7 1/2 yrs.
849 just moved into the apartment in September
850 we have a sump pump we've never used.
851 we have lived at this address for over 10 yrs with no water problems so far
852 I do have a 2 foot deep hole about 6" in diameter that I think is for checking the groundwater depth. In the past 6 yrs it is usually dry or has a couple of
inches of water in it. This year it was within a foot of the top most of the year
853 I purchased my home becaue I knew it was a concrete slab on grad because I knew ground water is prevelant in the neighborhood
854 partial basement
855 installed a sump pump and beaver system when house was built
856 Have not had any problems - lived here 1 yr
857 problems during flood of 1967
858 when we built our home in 1976 the City would not let us have a basement because we were south of Bismark St & in the flood plain. But we still had to
buy flood insurance. Many of the new homes being built should not ever have basements. You should hav
859 water got close to coming in about 8 years ago
860 we just moved into our house 3/07. we've had no problems. Basement has 2 sump pumps
861 problems during flood 1967. we let water in through windows to help stabalize foundation in '67 then let water drain away a week or so later. In '80 we
were hit by tornado & rebuilt house
862 we have put 2 18"x4' pits in basement 10 yrs ago. Had water in them 1st 2 yrs but has been dry since
863 installed sump pump
864 dump pumps were installed but did not take care of the problem. Through much effort a dewatering well was installed across the street. It has kept our
basement dry. Thank you!
865 depth to water on 11/17/07 was 8'8" below the top of our foundation or 1.5' below our basement floor - that's the highest since 1997 sent letter
866 the sewer line was rebuilt. It had a manhole cover at ground level. Now is totally underground & doesn't leak.
867 we had water in the basement in 1984 when the water table was very high - none since - do have a sand pint outside wall.
868 no problem
869 in '93 water table came up, basement floor just became damp. No problems since
870 our house is 12 years old we haven't had any groundwater problems at all!
871 No problems since moved in 2001
872 we have only lived here 4 yrs
873 no problems since 1967
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874 bought home 1998 - started running dewatering system april 1999 - worked and ran every 20-25 minutes until July 1999 - no problems since. Except for the
2005 heavy rains when the detention cell plugged up on sweetwood and the water backed up thru the bas
875 I have lived at this address since 1979 & have never had any groundwater problems
876 house was built with tile system
877 only problem during the '67 flood.
878 No problems in this area
879 it would be a waste to send water down the river
880 dewatering well to the east @ 927 E Phoenix may have helped. The drought of last 7 yrs has lowered water table
881 When we bought the property the sump pump wasn't hooked up - three years ago during the big summer rain we had approx. 2" in the basement - last
summer the pump ran twice & that was it
882 we are new owners there is a water mark on wall about a foot high. We have gutters.
883 there have been no ground water problems
884 we moved here purposely because of no basement. July '06 - Sept '07 we lived at 2426 Del Mar Ave and these questions would have been answered yes,
except the last
885 the city put in a dewatering pump. Appreciated the city pump. No problem since it was installed
886 I do feel individuals should be somewhat responsible where they build, having basements. If they live/build in flooding areas they must realize the
problems/cost they may have.
887 I purhcased a tri level home because I knew there was problems with ground water in the neighborhood
888 I moved into this home 7/9/07 and to the best of my knowledge there were no problems. On 11/11, 11/20/2007 I am having thrasher basement systems
install a perimeter drain system and a sump pump
889 we have a dewatering system but still a system to work in our area. Even more important we need much better street drainage
890 so far we have been lucky. But when you live in GI you never know when it could happen to you.
891 not sure if previous owner had problems
892 put surveys online
893 no problems since 1967 when flood waters of the wood river overflowed into our locality
894 Problems only with very heavy rainfall - 54 inches at one time.
895 haven't a clue what this about! Sorry.
896 everytime it rains heavy in a short time or long time our street floods causing water to completely flood our yard to the alley. When the water goes down
water fills our basement about 3-5 inches
897 we live in a bi-level our lower level is street level
898 split level
899 wood river project was supposed to take care of groundwater problems
900 the reason I have no groundwater problems in my basement is because the city & nrd put in a 300 gal/minute pump one property east of mine. There would
be water in my basement now had this no taken place. I have no sump pumps in my basement.
901 after the '67 flood I cut 2 16" wide cut in the floor and put 4" drain pipe 16" below top of floor. I've had to dewater 4 times since then.
902 city installed a well in our back yard to dewater.
903 water in ditch on Fonner Park Rd. When it's gone so is mine.
904 had water in basement in 1968
905 the sump pump runs continually twenty four hours a day
906 I've had some water in basement when it rains. I've lived here 2 1/2 yrs. I just rent this from Action Property.
907 built my house and crawl space because I was aware of ground water in GI
908 we have 2 sump pumps & at times they can't keep up with all the water
909 We have water in basements a block away- have had all summer
910 I believe pumping sand pits will do more good than a deep well. Check and clean wood river out to move water out. Why? Had water in basement after
flood most of the time. Except the year the pit was dug for ground for burington road bed. Also when Is
911 have had water in basement 5 times in the past 37 yrs. The last time was when we had the 8" rain.
912 city wells already in place if re piped could go a long way in reducing this problems.
913 Water in 1983, 1993 and two times this year. The water just came to fast and the rains too heavy and the sump system couldn't catch up.
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914
Our basement had groundwater come up through the floor of 1 room this summer but would have probably in all the rooms except that most of the neighbors
were pumping continuously (next door they had 2 hoses coming out of their basement). Our basement was completely finished when we moved here in
1983 but have had to remove the carpet at least 3 times through the years, and the last time did not even put any back down. So mainly just used for storage.
I would like to sell in a few years but am afraid no one will want to buy it because of the water problems. I would like to buy a condo but any newer ones
that I look at have full finished basements – I don’t want to go through all this again, and worry each time it rains. I am considering moving out of town
because there is not much available. It seems like all the new houses being built in the northwest area also have finished basements. With the history of
groundwater problems in that area it’s like a disaster waiting to happen. It’s going to be difficult to get new people to move to GI when they learn of the
water issues.
Why do the building codes even allow full basements in this city with its high water table (especially northwest GI)? All houses should only have crawl
spaces, and then there would be no problems.
915
We want to express our concern in our area. We bought a lot and built our home. We were the 3rd house on the street. There were no homes built adjacent
to us. Over the last three years, other homes have been built on our street at different height out of the ground. Specifically, the house to the west of ours is
1-2 feet higher than ours. To the best of our knowledge, the runoff of the subdivision is built to drain down the back of the properties & out to the street.
This is what our contractor tried to achieve. Our lot & the two lots to the east of us are now the lowest point on the street. Our lots seem to take the runoff.
To compound the problem, when Craig Street was put in, it was also at a higher level than us. All the houses to the south of us are higher & their runoff
comes on to our property. On two occasions, we had water in our basement. We had to gut the basement & replace many things. The May 2005 storm
broke our window & we had 2 feet of water in the basement. We have spent thousands of dollars putting in drainage, refinishing our basement & re-
landscaping to protect our home.
It is frustrating when no one will take responsibility to this problem. The city blames the developer. The developer blames the city. The contractor blames
everyone and so on. We do not understand why there are not plans developed for drainage & someone regulating this.
I realize you are surveying ground water problems. Ours is a surface water problem. When you build a $200,000 home in a new subdivision, you assume
that everything, including all planning & development is taken care of accurately.
916
We’ve been here over 30 yrs & now water problems until you took all the water from Capital Heights & put it in a detention cell between 281 & Webb on
Capital Ave that was a big mess for all basements out here. Nothings been done, you told us we were going to be first, & you did the south side. We took it
into our own hands & put in a pump. We never know when the water will come in, our basement if of NO USE to us!
917
Two years ago we had to add a drain & tile system. We just recently had to add a 2nd pump & additional drain & tile. We have had to replace carpet two
times within the last 2 years and have spent over $20,000 out of pocket in this time period because of this groundwater issue. Both pumps are currently
running every 10-15 minutes 24/7 and the additions and changes we have made are an absolute NO guarantee.
THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM.
We would expect the city to take responsibility since this is a city problem.
918
I recently received a letter form your department regarding the high water table in our community.
My wife and I moved to Grand Island shortly after the tornado, and at that time, there was no housing available at a reasonable price. A year later, we
purchase a lot and had a house built. Previously, we lived in Sioux City, IA and Norfolk, NE. We had a basement in both of those communities, and since
the weather is a real concern in this area, we decided that we would like a basement as well. We hired some contractors to build the house for us, and they
proceeded to do so. I distinctly remember when the house was completed; they told me I should never have any water problems, because my basement was
nine inches higher than my neighbor’s basement.
Two to three years later, when we had some abnormal rain, I did have some water in my basement, and over the years, periodically have that same problem.
Sometime after having water in the basement, I contacted Bob Molly about a system he had to put in some pumps to keep the water out. However, since I
had a poured sidewall with a brick façade, he was not able to seal it and said that he could not help me with the water situation. He also indicated that in the
1967 flood, the entire Brentwood area had three to four feet of water in it. This was the first that I knew that my property was in a very low part of town.
Over the years, I gradually changed the structure of my basement by putting in a false floor, which is about three to four inches above the actual concrete
level of the basement. Since that time, I have periodically had water on the basement floor, but not on the second flooring that I built. I had water again this
year from about May until three weeks ago. When I do have water, we turn on the fans, a dehumidifier and are liberal with putting Clorox in the standing
water to prevent a smell or mold growth.
If I had known that I was having a house built in a wetlands area, I certainly would have raised it from the current elevation. However, I was a new resident
in town, and the Building Department approved the plans without any comments about potential water problems. Since I did not have any problems in my
previous experience with a basement, the thought never crossed my mind.
I feel that the problem was exacerbated this year because a construction group west of Highway 281 was allowed to pump water into Brentwood Lake all
winter long, which raised the water table in the whole Brentwood subdivision abnormally before we received additional rain this past summer. This should
have been diverted to the bid ditch south of Stuhr Museum instead of to Brentwood, as it taxed the whole city water system. In addition, since rain was
plentiful, the farmer who farms the field south of our property did very little irrigating, which normally draws the water table down somewhat.
I would be happy to be on a committee of concerned citizens to work with the City to come to a reasonable solution for this periodic problem.
919
The groundwater problem was discovered in 1999. So far all the city has done for us, is conduct surveys and hold meetings.
We feel the city has caused our problems by shutting down the 5 city wells. Mr. Mader and Mr. Riehle have joined together to oppose any simple solution to
alleviate our problems. When we would water our lawn last summer, the water level below our house would drop ¾ to 1 inch…..at least temporarily. We
think that they could turn on city wells for short intervals without moving the plume. The high groundwater may even make the plume more mobile.
Our house if over 50 years old and this is the first time that it has had water. The first time we had ground water in our basement was on May 29, 2007. We
had just sold our home and it was to be inspected that day by the buyers. We were shocked when the water appeared and of course, the buyers backed out.
We had to remove and destroy 100 yards of expensive carpet. We had to hire people to remove furniture and possessions from the basement. We are still
renting a storage unit ($50.00 a month). We had to rent a dumpster for the wet carpet and other things that the water destroyed. We had to hire men to
remove the carpet and pad. We spent the summer diligently cleaning the perimeters with disinfectant solutions hopefully to prevent mold. (We cleaned
daily).
We had a sump pump installed. We ran several floor pumps. Pioneer Blvd. does not have storm sewer so the water has to run out on our once beautiful
lawn. The water has came and gone several times since last May 29. We currently do not have water but the sump pump runs every 40 seconds and our
“dry” well shows that the water is 7 inches below our basement floor. We have a terraced lot and should not have water.
It is expensive to by and run dehumidifier, fans, sump pumps, etc; I am an artist and have lost the income because I lost my basement art studio. We didn’t
get to see our children in Montana because we were afraid to leave home last summer. We are retired folk and should enjoy our twilight years instead of
worrying every time a cloud shows up in the sky.
We pay our taxes, have installed sidewalks, we were part of the new water district so we will receive a hefty assessment for that. The first estimate for
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bringing the new water line to our house was $6800. We think this is too high so we will shop elsewhere.
We do not want to advertise the fact that we have had water because we need to sell our home. The acre lot is just too much work for my retired husband
who has back problems. (Of course, we will have to disclose our problem to potential buyers but we don’t want to publish it in the newspaper!)
I hope something can be done. Dewatering wells or lower the assessed value of our home……
920
There is no way there is enough room on your small sheet to voice my opinion. We bought a house (many years ago) that was known NOT to have water
problems. We have a basement but it is no on e of the deep ones that have become so popular.
Why were the houses with basement EVER allowed to be built in an area that was known to be a “slough”? This is totally beyond my reasoning. Perhaps
the developers should come in and take responsibility for their error. But they, like the city officials that were in office at that time, are no longer around.
They made a profit and left.
We have lived at our address for 35 years and have watched as houses were built in places we knew the water would settle. I’m sure there were some
“engineering” studies that showed us to be wrong.
In the time being we have managed to fight our way through many turbulent times with the City of Grand Island.
I think your bottom line is to try to talk all of us into paying for someone else’s mistake. My husband and I have spent a small fortune to work out all our
problems with the city of GI (considering we were in Hall County when we moved here – not the City of GI). The very latest being the sidewalks we were
forced to put in. Yes, they are nice, BUT we paid the whole price for them.
I feel for the people that live in the effected area. I’m sure they hate having the water in their basements and I do realize it is caused by the shut down of a
well – but again, I ask you why these houses were allowed to be built. Nothing is forever. Things change at the drop of a hat! If the land is in a low area –
the land is in a low area – what more can be said? Anyone buying a house in this area should have looked at where it sat!! That would tell you
EVERYTHING!
If every GI resident should become responsible for part of the cost of fixing this problem will they City of GI reimburse everyone in my area for the expense
spent for sidewalks? Will they reimburse the residents along Stolley Park Road for the widening of the street?
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Attached is your survey, which I am submitting under duress. I have no intention of ever being part of a ground water de-watering district. My, or our house
butts right up against the City Cemetery, consequently we are on some of the highest ground of the city. My point is if we have any ground water in our
basement a major part of Grand Island will be under water. Take 2203 Woodridge Lane out of the district.
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My wife and I were instrumental in getting the dewatering district stopped in 1993, that the council had passed. We went house to house and gathered
approximately 300 signatures on a petition. If that would have stayed in place at the estimated annual cost, we would have spent over $20,000 by now for a
service that we didn’t need.
When we built our home in 1997 we built about two rows of block higher than what was then the average elevation and it didn’t cost us any more. We have
full 8 ft. ceilings in our basement.
How would you ever sell a home in our area, when you tell the future buyer that in addition to taxes you had to pay another $2,000 a year to keep your
neighbors basement dry.
Don’t try to fool Mother Nature.
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