Citizen unclogs storm drain that partially flooded a street in Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — After recent situations in which an underground spring and a leaking water main caused water to flow over streets and created an ice risk, some drivers thought it might be happening again on Bijou Street, just north of Academy Boulevard.
Last week, a viewer notified KRDO 13's The Road Warrior about a large pool of water that had accumulated on the southbound side, over Spring Creek; the water had pooled in a low-lying area surrounded by hills and had flooded the bike lane while starting to cover the traffic lane.
"I've been seeing it every day on my way to and from work," the viewer said. "I don't think that side of the street has a storm drain."
He didn't mention if he had reported it to the city; it would seem strange for a storm drain to not be there, because water was flowing without a problem in a drain across the street.
A Google Maps image from last summer showed the pool of water even then, so it's unclear how long the situation has continued.
The Road Warrior found a steady flow of water, from melting snow or another source, increasing the size of the pool; most drivers swerved to avoid it.
Randy, a resident of a nearby apartment complex, said that he and his neighbors had noticed the situation.
"I've been here about six months, and I've noticed it gathering in this entire section every time it rains," he explained. "And during this entire winter, we get really bad ice and pools on the other side. And then right here, we'll get this massive puddle that will come all the way out to the center of the road."
After driving through the pool and dispersing most of the water, The Road Warrior discovered that a storm drain was there — but clogged with debris that blocked drainage into the creek.
That's when Randy — who had been working on his car when he saw The Road Warrior recording video of the scene — decided to take matters into his own hands by using a stick to unclog the drain and allow the water to flow into the creek.
"I definitely feel good about that," he confessed. "I was just working on my car, and now I feel like I helped my community a little bit because that's going to make a difference."
A city spokesman said that while he appreciates Randy's thoughtfulness and willingness to help, he recommends that citizens report such issues to the city so that crews can respond to them.
Randy believes that much of the debris clogging the drain was from landscaping material that wasn't properly disposed of.
