Falcon Highlands Metro begins construction on drainage system after multiple homes flood
FALCON, Colo. (KRDO) -- After multiple KRDO13 Investigates reports about basements in the Falcon Highlands Neighborhood flooding, the broken drainage system that caused the issues is now being fixed.
On Monday, Beers Construction, on behalf of the Falcon Highlands Metro District, began a three-week-long project to fix the neighborhood's drainage pipe. Crews dug a hole at the intersection of Antelope Meadows Circle and Indian Echo Terrace, as homeowners believe the pipe is either crushed or clogged.
Without any place to go, water has backed up within the foundations of multiple homes throughout the neighborhood, sometimes even causing major flooding in basements.
“We had a mitigation company come out and suck water out, tear all the carpet up, rip all the drywall out,” said Kyle Geitzenawer, when we first reported on this issue in September 2023. “They were here for two weeks. When they left it was dry on a Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, we came to the basement and there were six more inches of water in the basement.”
Homeowners said they have noticed the problem migrate from house to house as a portion of the pipe becomes unclogged or the water finds a new route. Nathan Elwick is the latest victim. He said he started noticing his sump pump working around the clock about three weeks ago. Since then, he said he’s pumping about 20 gallons of water per minute from underneath his house.
“Having water come into my house was quite an experience,” he said. “The pipe’s meant to help get it out, so that was something that was scary.”
He hopes the construction project right down the street from his house will fix the issues, not only for him but for the entire neighborhood.
“They say that there's a break there and that's why they're digging it up,” Elwick said. “Hopefully once they get that break free, the water will continue on and hopefully not to the next homes.”
However, there’s a larger concern among homeowners about who is responsible for maintaining the underground drainage system after the project is complete. In KRDO13 Investigates’ previous reporting, El Paso County and the Falcon Highlands Metro District wouldn’t take responsibility for the system, instead pointing the finger at the other.
On Monday, El Paso County Commissioner Carrie Geitner said the drainage system is not the county’s and it is not paying for the construction project. However, she said the county is working with the metro district to provide support and traffic coordination.
“It's always been our belief that this is the responsibility of the metro district,” Geitner said. “We continue to believe that, but we are working closely with them again because we want to make sure that residents get their problems solved.”
“Residents don't really care whose it is and who's responsible,” she continued. “They just want it fixed and we want to do our very best to help with that.”
KRDO 13 Investigates reached out to the Falcon Highlands Metro District and asked if they were taking responsibility for the system by paying for this project. The organization didn’t respond.
“It is a little disconcerting from a homeowner's point of view,” Elwick said. “Who is responsible for it? What's going to happen going forward and who's going to maintain this?”
