People living in Arlington told Action News Jax they are fed up with constant drainage problems.
“You hear that,” Shane Peterson said as he pressed down on the ground with his foot to emphasize the sound of the water sitting beneath the driveway. “The water just keeps building up. It’s cracking the driveway.”
Peterson said drainage problems from a nearby utility easement leave his property on Valleyview Drive saturated in water.
The problem is that sediment has built up in the easement, making it hard for the water to drain properly.
“It’s a swamp,” Peterson said. “My son can’t even use the backyard. I can barely get my boat out.”
Peterson said he has been dealing with the issue over the last two years, but Action News Jax obtained emails from other people living in the area sent to the city dating back to 2012, expressing concerns over drainage problems in the Woodleigh Drive area, which is right up the road from Peterson’s home.
“It’s an ongoing thing and nobody wants to take care of the problem,” Peterson said.
JEA told Action News Jax the agency has been working with the city of Jacksonville since October to fix the drainage system.
The city said the Public Works Department is currently working on storm sewer repairs, which should be done within the next few weeks.
Tuesday, we saw work being done to replace some of the storm drains on Sunnymeade Drive off of Valleyview Drive.
JEA said it will be working with the city to remove the sediment in the next few months.
Peterson said he feels Arlington homeowners have waited long enough.
“We just want it taken care of,” Peterson said.
The city said the next step will be cleaning and regrading the outfall ditch.
Cox Media Group
