More development proposed in Falcon neighborhood with drainage system problems

FALCON, Colo. (KRDO) -- As Janelle McNeil pumps more than 100 gallons of water per minute from underneath her house to keep her basement from flooding a second time, a sign a couple of blocks down the street proposes the development of 378 new homes.

McNeil has lived in her Falcon Highlands home for more than seven years. She said her sump pump never turned on until last winter. Since then, except for a couple of months in the spring, her sump pump worked around the clock, pumping about 63 gallons per minute.

“Pumps are supposed to last five or ten years and we only had that one for six months," she said. "We were worried that it wouldn't keep up.”

So the McNeils switched to a new pump that worked twice as hard. However, during the installation process, the transfer pump blew the home’s breaker, turning off the power. In a matter of minutes, the McNeil’s basement flooded.

The McNeils hired a restoration company, but despite their new sump pump pumping out 108 gallons per minute, their basement flooded again. This time water seeped through the cracks of their concrete floor.

“Once we got the new pump in and we got the initial flooding cleaned up, we thought we had some reprieve," McNeil said. "Then the very next day we came into our unfinished room and it was flooded and the water was coming up through the cracks in the slabs.”

On Sunday, the McNeils dug a hole in one of their window wells to install a second sump pump. It helped keep the basement from flooding again, but McNeil calls it a “band-aid fix.” She’s laid down towels and flooding alarms on her basement floor as water still seeps through from time to time.

“This is thousands of dollars in damage," she said. "We have no intention of rebuilding the basement until this is figured out. Every day I wake up not knowing if my basement is going to be flooded. I'm nervous every time I open the door to go downstairs.”

When the neighborhood was developed in the early 2000s, an underground drainage system in the neighborhood right-of-ways was installed because the area has a high water table and high levels of groundwater. But residents are worried the system is either clogged or crushed, forcing residents’ individual sump pumps to do the work.

Throughout the neighborhood, black hoses stretch across front yards spewing water into the sidewalk gutter. KRDO13 Investigates previously spoke to neighbors back in September with similar issues, flooded basements, and overworked sump pumps.

Yet neighbors said nothing has been done to fix it and it’s unclear who is responsible.

In a previous statement to KRDO13 Investigates, El Paso County said there is no documented evidence that either the county or the metro district is responsible for maintaining the drainage system.

We realize this is frustrating for our citizens and are looking into solutions with the Metro District. As things currently stand, there is confusion regarding the responsibility for the specific underdrain system in question. By way of background, El Paso County roads are primarily designed to manage stormwater runoff along the side of, or sometimes under, the roadway. They are not intended or designed to convey groundwater discharged from adjacent properties. While the underdrain was installed within County right-of-way, the County did not accept maintenance responsibility for the underdrain system due to this design limitation.

The plat includes a specific note expressing an intent for the Falcon Highlands Metro District to maintain the underdrain system. However, our records indicate that there is no documented evidence indicating the Metro District formally accepted maintenance responsibilities for the underdrain.

We have taken measures to ensure that this lack of clarification does not arise again and will continue to work with the Metro District to resolve the issue.”

El Paso County

The Falcon Highlands Metro District also has a statement posted on their website from November:

As a Board, we provide this update regarding the concerns about groundwater seepage and the
underdrain system. As we previously advised, this is a complicated issue without clear or easy
answers. However, we are aware and recognize that the community is frustrated, and we are
continuing to discuss and evaluate the matter to help obtain a full understanding of the issues and,
hopefully, to identify potential solutions.

We are taking affirmative steps to continue the investigative process, which includes working with
El Paso County to cooperatively trouble shoot and discuss potential actions. Specifically, we are
working to coordinate the District’s engineer and the County’s engineer to discuss options related
to the underdrain issues. That collective exploration must occur first. Then, there is the potential
for some additional scoping of the Filing 1 underdrain for additional investigation and troubleshooting, if a blockage is, in fact, an issue.

Please understand that an underdrain system is not easily accessible and these issues must be
evaluated methodically. As well, the issues of ownership and responsibility are still not
conclusive. We appreciate your patience. This is the only comment we are able to make on this
matter at this time. When there is more factual information to be shared, we will provide an update.

Falcon Highlands Metro District

KRDO13 Investigates reached out to both El Paso County and the Falcon Highlands Metro District for an update on solutions to the drainage issue but we haven’t heard back from the Falcon Highlands Metro District. El Paso County provided the following statement.

El Paso County is resolutely focused on reaching a resolution. We are fully aware of the urgency of this issue and have taken a proactive stance. Our efforts have included active engagement with the metro district, spearheading critical engineering dialogues focused on a collaborative approach.

El Paso County

Now, Challenger Communities wants to build 378 new homes in the neighborhood. Residents told KRDO13 Investigates the current drainage system can’t handle the current homes much less 300 more.

According to the project description, the Falcon Highlands Metro District, which is in charge of water services in the area, said it is only committed to providing water services to 50 of those proposed homes.

“Development of an additional well will be required before the District will be able to commit to providing water service to the remaining lots,” the proposed plan said.

The El Paso County Planning Commission disapproved of the proposed development during a November meeting. Now, the El Paso County Commissioners will decide whether to approve the development or not during a Thursday meeting.

“It's really frustrating," McNeil said. "It's kind of a slap in the face that we're struggling over here and for some what's more important is building more homes.”