HEATH SPRINGS, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – An ongoing issue in Heath Springs has neighbors looking for answers leaders and residents now hope that SCDOT can resolve the situation. Many have expressed growing concerns over drainage backup on North Main Street or Highway 521 that causes major flooding.
SCDOT provides maintenance on those roads and now with one residents health on the line, she says she needs a long-term solution.
Heath Springs Mayor Eddie Moore has been getting more calls about flooding on North Main Street. He says old drainage systems on highway 521 are clogged diverting the flow of water.
“Well the clog is of the pipe, that came about over a period of time. It’s filling up with dirt and it’s causing it not to wash down,” says Mayor Moore.
Mayor Moore says he’s been calling on SCDOT for help.
“They are maintained by DOT, the Department of Transportation — and that’s the reason why that we’re having the problems with the flow of water here, because they are not blowing out the pipes.”
Business owners say the flooding and drainage has been a long-term problem – dating back to when they first opened their doors, 14 years ago.
Randy Harden, a local business owner, says, “We had to end up building our own drainage system.”
Over time one business owner says he’s spent $10,000 dollars of his own money trying to address the problem.
“It’s money that we could be using for other things, a lot of other things really,” says Harden.
Suffering from Scleroderma, a connective tissue disorder, Janie Truesdale says the water drainage in her yard and sometimes her home is threatening to worsen her condition. She’s also spent hundreds of her own money to resolve the issue.
“It’s been hard. Because you know by the water coming in and I have to come in from work and water is everywhere and I’m trying to clean it up before I go to bed because I have to get up early to go to work and stuff like that, it’s just aggravating, it’s aggravating,” says Janie.
SCDOT leaders saying they’ve come out to address the issue just one week ago today, digging this drainage trench in Janie’s yard. They are advising residents.
SCDOT’s Brittany Harriot says, “Be mindful of where you dispose your things, be mindful of what you plant near the drains and just remember to call SCDOT if you need any assistance in cleaning up that area.”
Janie’s son, Myrone Truesdale, is hoping for a more long-term solution. He believes trenches need to be dug parallel to the roadway and pipes need to be put in place. He and others say when this area sees a heavy rain, it can start to look like a river.
“This is a community, a nice community. And as you’re coming in to city, we want to see a beautification area not where we have this type of thing right here, not just left undone…. I as a citizen, we are citizens in the community, we shouldn’t have to complete that ourselves, we don’t feel as though we need to. It’s a state Road, 521, it should be something that South Carolina DOT or DHEC should be able to do to alleviate this problem, in which they caused from the start,” says Myrone.
In the video above, CN2’s Rachel Richardson is speaking with community leaders, residents and SCDOT about the issue and steps that are being taken to resolve it.
