By Stephen Smoot
Water gives life, but it is also one of the most persistently destructive forces in nature. For over a decade, West Virginia has experienced a natural cycle of storm activity that has seen slow moving storms delivering intense precipitation in a more limited range.
Such storms can overwhelm even proper drainage systems. When damage from wear and tear or poor planning and decision-making impede the flow of water or channel it into the wrong areas, flood damage can and will affect residences and businesses.
As Mayor Patrick Kovalck explains, the city’s problems with water backing up where it should not come from a plethora of problems both big and small. The varied nature of the issue means, as he says “we could put $10 million into a system and it may not tackle what we’ve been getting.”
“We need to be prepared and see what problems we can fix,” Kovalck added. Part of the challenge lies in not knowing where all of the sources of damaging storm water lie. The Storm Water Task Force has started accepting requests for inspections. Mayor Kovalck and City Manager Tori Drainer have asked that residents with information can call the city office during business hours, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding official holidays.
Callers should leave their name, phone number, and an explanation of the problem.
So far, the City has received seven requests. Priority will be placed on relatively simple problems that the city itself can address with little or no cost, but progress will take time. “I don’t look to fix all of them in a year,” Kovalck explained.
Another challenge facing the initiative lies in funding. The City has no storm water fund, so money to cover costs will come first from the sewer fund “which is already thin,” notes Kovalck. The general fund will also be used.
He identified one major problem in residential and business downspouts flowing directly into the sanitary sewer system. These overwhelm the system and, during heavy rains, are “pushing water into basements.” Once a common practice, the City of Shinnston passed an ordinance against it many years ago. Making the practice illegal, however, did not solve the problem completely.
“It takes everybody to acknowledge the fact that you can’t just drain stormwater into your sanitary sewer,” added the Mayor.
Regardless of the time needed to painstakingly identify and repair these problems, Kovalck pledged “the City won’t turn a deaf ear to it,” and will “move as fast as we can.”
