Borough helps Settlers Bay flooding

Residents in Settlers Bay subdivision are seeing some relief from flooding groundwater today. On Wednesday,  seven workers of the Borough Public Works Department thawed through 15 inches of ice along the road and located the elusive end of a privately owned yard drain pipe. Up gushed a 5 to 6-inch geyser of water. The moving water is believed to be what has been flooding yards and icing up driveways and the road.

Public Works has extended the pipe by adapting it to a flexible plastic tube and running it from the private property, across the road, in order to divert the flowing water behind homes toward Crocker Creek.  Borough road superintendent Doug Lange rounded up the parts and fittings necessary for the job. It's a temporary fix to get the road reopened and to protect homes from flooding. A few have received sandbags from the Emergency Services Dept. Lange has been attacking the problem, looking for solutions. "Some water is flowing though the extended tube as planned but other solutions are being considered." 

Steam thawing rigs are currently cutting channels in the 15" thick Ice to make it more easy to pry out and haul away. Homeowners have been patient and supportive. "Doug Lange and the  Mat-Su Borough have been great through this. They were the only ones to help us."  The road is still closed but Lange says that he's hoping it will be open sometime Friday.