TEMPLE, Texas (KXXV) — A Temple homeowner says she has dealt with flooding and wastewater overflow for years, caused by blockages and backup in Knob Creek near her property.
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Carolyn Schiffer has lived in her home for more than 20 years and says major brush, debris, and wastewater regularly flow onto her yard from a blockage backup in Knob Creek near a neighboring property.
"If I know that we're gonna get a lot of rain, I go pick up things in the yard or in the garage and get things up above the water line, because I know it's gonna flood in there," Schiffer said.
The flooding has at times left her home surrounded by water.
"It has been an island at time or two where I'm just the house sitting on a lake," Schiffer said.
Her friend Ania Ake visits often, especially when rain is in the forecast, and says she has seen firsthand how quickly conditions can deteriorate.
"I made it a habit. Now, every time we have a rainstorm or it rains hard, one of my first things I do, especially if it's like overnight, I call her or text her, I'm like, are you OK? Because I know how fast it can come up. I know how quickly it comes," Ake said.
Ake recently discovered wastewater mixing into the creek that runs under Schiffer's driveway. Flooding and wastewater issues are not new problems for Temple neighbors in the area.
Ake said Schiffer has made repeated attempts to find a resolution.
"It's just really unfortunate because Carolyn made so many attempts trying to find a resolution or a solution or trying to figure out who can do something to prevent major flooding or, or, you know, just that rapid flooding if it's just a little bit, OK, you know, but it gets worse and worse and worse," Ake said.
The city initiated a project in 2023 to address the problem. It is a multi-phase project with no overall completion date yet. Phase one is still underway, with a construction completion date set for July of this year. Megan Price with the City of Temple says the project will expand the sewage system's capacity to handle heavy rainfall.
"The enhancements that are included in this project are designed to increase the capacity of the sewer system. So installing larger pipes is kind of accounting for heavier rainfall. Um, it's an older sewer system, so a lot of the, the piping that is there has holes in it or it's just old and it's deteriorating as things do with age, so an upgrade was needed," Price said. "it does take a little bit longer just because so many factors and considerations go into it when you're going into the sewer and underground and you've got to get the infrastructure."
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