The city of St. Clairsville is still looking to find ways to fund the answer to a troublesome flooding question that plagues a few of its city residents.
Periodic downpours the last few years have brought the flooding at the Bellview Street section of the county seat further into the limelight.
It’s an issue which may only affect around 5-6 houses on the eastern portion of Bellview where it intersects with North Sugar Street. But, for those 5-6 families, the fear of sewage water backing up into their basements every time it rains is a real fear.
Because of the elevation of the bottom of Bellview in relation to the rest, and the positioning of the city’s storm sewer drains that flow directly not the main line, it’s a recipe for disaster. Occasionally, depending upon the amount of rain that falls, that potential disaster becomes a reality for those families.
Fourth ward Councilwoman Terra Butler and her colleagues are working to find a solution to this ongoing issue. One appeared a real possibility in the past.
There was an $800,000 loan to go toward the project, but $500,000 of that total was going to be supplied by Aqua Ohio, should the company’s bid to purchase the city’s water services have been approved.
Even if the sale went through, the city was gong to be on the hook for the additional $300,000. But the city turned down Aqua’s offer and opted to plan to purchase water from Belmont County. In turn, the $500,000 proposed from Aqua went away with the end of the sale.
“That was a 30-year-loan for $800,000, which we are still eligible for if we want to get it,” Butler said. “But the total cost of the project is now estimated to be about $1.8 million dollars.
“Currently we are looking for grants and/or loans, along with other engineering projects to help alleviate this issue. But it needs addressing.”
Multiple Sets of Eyes
When Butler first was appointed, the issue was known to council and solutions were being discussed. But considering Bellview lies within her ward, she wanted to familiarize herself with it to a greater extent. Around this time, the village was operating without a service director. So, Butler enlisted the assistant of Bill Suto, the service director from Martins Ferry.
Suto and two of his workers came and walked with Butler throughout Bellview and Overbaugh Avenue, which also can have issues.
“They offered their own time to come and help us out,” Butler recalled. “They pulled up images (from previous studies) and analyzed the conditions.”
Butler took her findings and concerns to Mayor Kathryn Thalman and later, a smoke study was performed on the line to check for breaks and potential leaks.
Butler explained the study concluded there were no leaks or blockages of the drainpipe.
“It’s called a 10-year pipe and is exactly what is supposed to be used on this street,” Butler said.
Butler explained the torrential downpour that struck in July 2020 that caused a significant amount of flooding was referred to as a 100-year rain. In short, it means it was so bad, that so much rain fell in such a short amount of time, that it likely wouldn’t happen again—statistically anyone—for another 100 years.
“An engineer said hat putting in 100-year-pipe on Bellview would be ‘like killing a mosquito with an atomic bomb,’” Butler said. “It would be a poor and extremely expensive solution.”
That’s true, but when you are one of the families fighting against basement flooding every time mother nature decides to drop some rain on the Ohio Valley, any solution which alleviates the problem will be welcome.
Now it’s up to city leaders to find that solution and get these particular residents the relief they’ve been eagerly anticipating.
