New Drainage Ditch Rating System In The Works For Flood-Prone Streets

For most people, rain means carrying an umbrella when leaving the house. But for the residents of Gail Avenue, it means another headache.

When heavy rain hits the street, the water doesn't flow smoothly; instead, it floods, eroding the pavement and seeping into the basements of the neighborhood's homes.

Gail Avenue is one of several streets facing drainage problems caused by deteriorated culvert metal pipes and blocked ditches. But the city's in the process of developing a new ditch rating system that just might be the ticket to speeding up repairs.

The system was implemented in the 1950s and over the years, has been damaged as homes are built and trees are planted that uproot and raise the surface of the earth. That disrupts the system, causing blockages and backups, leading to saturated front lawns and aggravated homeowners.

"It's frustrating," said Rick Klepacz, a resident on Gail Avenue. "When the weather get's bad, it's stressful. The water in our ditch went from flowing pretty well during heavy rain to pretty much a lake. The amount of water just creeps closer and closer to the house."

At the city council meeting on June 20, Ward One Alderman Ted Schauer presented photos of the flooding on Gail Avenue, comparing the images with ones of Linden Avenue, a street with an efficient ditch system. The former was covered in rainwater; the latter showed no sign of flooding. 

Schauer has been urging the council to consider moving the time for changing the ditch system on the street to an earlier date. Currently, a ditch can only be revamped when it is time for the street's scheduled resurfacing; for Gail Avenue, that would mean 2016. Schauer said the street would be beyond repair by then and because of this, he asked to move forward with a new drainage ditch rating system.

"This is where we're going to have to make an exception to that rule," he said. "I don't think the street will last until 2016 to do it. It's my personal opinion that if we're going to turn around and fix them, let's do it now."

According to Municipal Services Director Dan Gombac, the new drainage ditch rating system will evaluate the necessity of new ditches on streets like Gail Avenue and give numerical ratings to the streets. If the street is in need of a new drainage system, the change for the ditches will occur earlier, depending how well the project is funded. In the case of Gail Avenue, Gombac said the project will total about $160,000.

"We think the program is one that benefits [residents], and we anticipate that they hope they get funding that can maintain these projects," Gombac said.

In fact, if the rating system is implemented and the funds come through, the residents of Gail Avenue can welcome improved ditches in the next year or two. Plus, the new rating program will not only help Gail Avenue and streets like it get fixed sooner rather than later, but keep it intact for years to come.

"We're talking long-term vitality of the city of Darien if we get it fixed and get it fixed right," Schauer said. "That's what I'm hoping to do. I'd like to see Gail fixed as soon as possible but I'd like to see this ditch program and this rating system implemented immediately."

As for the residents of Gail Avenue such as Klepacz, flooding has made it difficult to remodel and has caused problems like mold and waste backup. Thus, having a new system for the street would be a relief. 

"I hope that at some point they can do that to our street," Klepacz said. "We're one of the last ones in the area that hasn't been done and that would make all the difference in the world."