Homeowner thinks he knows source of neighborhood’s water woes

The homeowners in Moccasin Pass Court in Rockrimmon are still dealing with water that seeps up from the ground and into their basements.

Stephanie Basgal is going on two weeks dealing with floodwater in her basement.

“There’s so much water, and there are areas where the water is standing and pooling,” she said.

It’s forced her to tear the insulation away from her basement walls and she continuously runs her sump pump.

She doesn’t know the exact cause of all the water but she just wants it to stop.

“I know we’re stuck. I’ve thought of going to a hotel, but we have two dogs. What are we going to do with them?” Basgal said.

Her neighbor has a theory.

“Where did all that water go?” Ernie Velez asked.

He thinks when the city built Douglas Creek, some of the water got pumped to a pit which funneled into an old river that used to run under the neighborhood.

“That water was all directed to that little 20-or-30 yard pit,” he said.

It’s an idea he brought to the city of Colorado Springs.

“We’ve had a large amount of rain in the area, which has gone down into the soil,” said Tim Mitros with the city of Colorado Springs

He’s inspected the area nearly every day for the past two weeks and blames record rains along with the proximity to the Waldo Canyon Burn Scar, for triggering higher than average water levels.

“The water table is high in this area,” he said.

He doesn’t dismiss Velez’s theory, but is leaning toward record rain as the main cause.

But neighbors are still worried.

“I have concerns about mold, what are we inhaling. I have concerns about a sinkhole, I don’t receive the answers I need,” Basgal said.