Friday 9 August 2013

Pond disappears overnight

Couldn't possibly be because of fracking, could it?

Neighbors searching for answers after pond mysteriously drains overnight



8 August, 2013

BLYTHEWOOD, SC (WIS)- A pond that was once a place of enjoyment for some families in Blythewood is nothing more than a big mud hole and why the water drained from the pond is a mystery.

Sometime between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, something happened in the Dawson's Creek neighborhood that caused most of the water to rush out of a pond there.

For a while even nearby Wilson Boulevard was impassible between Rimer Pond Road and Blythewood High School as the water flowed away from the neighborhood. DOT officials said the road was inspected and it was determined that the flooding did not compromise its condition.

Residents say a wall holding the water near Wilson Boulevard gave way, but what caused the failure is still not known. Some residents speculate utility work on Wilson Boulevard is the culprit, but that's not been substantiated. Others say beaver dams may have contributed to drainage problems in the area.

The people who live there now have a big smelly mess to deal with.

"Like any other morning, I look outside to see what the weather is doing and I notice the pond was gone," said Kelly Serafine.

Serafine says she couldn't believe it happened right in her own backyard. She and her family have enjoyed the pond for years.

She's now worried about the problems the pond turned mud hole will create for her home.

"My initial concern is everyone's property value," said Serafine. "I mean it makes a huge dent in the value of your property. But my immediate concern is the stench."

Kelly isn't the only one feeling "drained" about what has happened.

"I'm just flabbergasted, I don't even know what to say," said Neighbor Carol Drew-Peeples. She is devastated by the ponds transformation into a mud pit, and she's trying to get some answers on how it happened.

"I came out and realized the pond was gone," Drew-Peeples. "Don't know why it happened or how. So I started making some phone calls."

Peeples reached out to Richland County, DHEC, and the Army Corps. of Engineers. So far she has not gotten any answers.

"There's no way for us to get rid of that stench," she said. "So our concern is who is responsible."

Town Administrator John Perry says the properties are private and the Town of Blythewood is not responsible. They are willing to meet with the homeowners and
determine if there is anything they can do to help.



No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.