Butler County Leaders Announce Plan To Address Flooding Concerns In Communities
HARMONY, Pa. (KDKA) -- People who live along the Connoquenessing Creek in Harmony have long experienced significant flooding in their homes.
"It's getting old and I'm getting old," said Tod DiMinno. "It's been flooding in my basement for 20 years, almost every year."
His home has suffered untold flood water damage, which has cracked his foundation, drenched his basement and destroyed belongings.
"It fills this whole bowl up with water until it eventually dumps into my house. I try to make it nice down there. It floods, ends up back out here. Put it back in, it floods," said DiMinno.
But on Wednesday, the Butler County Board of Commissioners approved findings from a two-year study that could break the seemingly never-ending cycle for this resident and others in 10 county neighborhoods.
Adams, Cranberry, Evans City, Forward, Harmony, Jackson, Lancaster, Penn, Seven Fields and Zelienople all collaborated for the study alongside Butler County, according to Butler County Commissioner Kevin Boozel.
"There were concrete items from that study that we can pick up and do today," said Boozel.
The study was conducted by a local engineering firm. Stormwater release rates raised the biggest concern.
"What could happen is you could hold people accountable for their retention pond release rates if they upgrade, add to, that type of thing," the commissioner said.
The study also produced potential solutions, proposing more than $10 million worth of improvement projects, which municipalities could possibly fund through state grants.
This is something leaders now find achievable with the study under their belt.
"Without a plan, especially one that is across jurisdictional boundaries, if you don't have a plan, partnership or collaboration, they don't wanna talk to you about doing a project," said Boozel.
The study cost approximately $30,000, with contributions from all 10 participating municipalities.
