KZTV

Posted: Feb 25, 2010 6:15 PM
Updated: Feb 25, 2010 9:15 PM

CORPUS CHRISTI - We asked Chip Baish and Gerald Garcia with the city's Wastewater Department to meet us at Ted Gonzalez's home.  We wanted their expert opinion on why Gonzalez's backyard was flooded.  "We're having the same issues all over town. Yeah. Yeah. There's alot of high water all around the city right now. The ground's still saturated from all the recent rains," the Wastewater reps told us. 

     Gonzalez told us he's lived in this house more than 30 years.  Never had this kind of problem.  Until a year ago.  "Almost a year ago I had sewage problems. And they came out and they got it because the pipe was broken or something."  He's referring to a city crew that did some work on his backyard.  And Garcia confirmed the work had been done.  

     But Gonzalez maintains that ever since that work was done, his backyard floods when it rains.  He pointed to a water mark on a blanket hanging in the backyard to dry to show just how high the water rises.  

     We asked the experts.  "It's not a sewer backed up. It's not a broken pipe. If it was sewer you would smell it. And he'd be backing up. And he's not backing up. It's standing water."

     We also checked the backyards that surround Gonzalez's backyard.  They do not have standing water.  Gonzalez also added that he hasn't noticed a spike in his utility bill.

     Baish points out the city might not be able to do much to help Gonzalez since the problem is on private property.  But he and Garcia promised Gonzalez they'll help.  

     The Water Dept. sent a crew to check it out.  So did the Stormwater Dept.  They didn't find any leaks.  Not even in other parts of the neighborhood.  In fact the Stormwater crew told Baish it's just bad drainage.