Manor Township Supervisor Bob Southworth (center) holds conversation with residents near Lenape Tech about flooding issues. Residents showed up at the public meeting last Wednesday.
A group of Manor Township residents attended last week’s work session of supervisors to look for answers to flooding due to lack of surface water drainage between Park, Center, and Chaplain Avenues.
Residents in attendance from the area were Bill and Patty Simensky, James and Catherine Jackson, and Joseph Cippel Jr.
Supervisor Bob Southworth, who is also the Road Master for the township, told residents that the issue is because drains that were originally designed to drain the area are too small for the volume of water caused by recent rains.
Southworth said he has met with Gregg Smith from the Conservation District to provide design assistance and come up with a solution.
“I’m going to put three new six-foot deep catch basins with a three-foot pipe the whole way across Center Avenue. Everybody on that street drain their roof drains and it goes to the middle of that block and comes out at Chaplain Avenue. We’re going to even replace the pipe under the road.”
Manor Township wants to replace the 12-inch inlet/outlet pipes with 36-inch piping that can handle the volume of water being generated between Park Avenue and Chaplain Avenue.
Southworth said that although he has a plan, there are several issues that have to be addressed.
“There’s a big problem. There’s a whole bunch of trees in there. If I’m putting a three-foot pipe in there, the trees got to go and that’s technically not our right- of- way. So you guys remove the trees and get me a big enough opening to go down through there with a machine. We will replace the pipe from Park clear across Center.”
James Jackson asked if that area was an alley owned by the township. Southworth said it wasn’t and explained.
“There are no alleys. It may be a paper alley (originally shown on plot maps when area was subdivided). If the township doesn’t take possession of it within 21 years, it reverts back to the property owners.”
“The problem I have is whenever like we had that six inches in one day it rained and my sump pump was overwhelmed by pressure, and then I had two feet of water in my basement,” Cippel said.
“That’s because it can’t get out, then it backs up,” Southworth replied. “We will put the money into the pipe, do the work at our cost. But I need help from you folks to remove the trees. You can have somebody come in, get us a straight line with 10’ feet each side of that the whole way.”
Southworth also warned that the work would not happen this summer, but would be scheduled for Summer 2020.
“I just can’t guarantee it will be this year since it’s raining, we’re so far behind and you know what’s going to happen if I take a backhoe in there right now. We’ll never see it again.”
Supervisor Don Palmer, who also lives in that area, said the discussion has been in progress for nearly a year.
“We’re to a point now where we got other advice from the storm-water management people now, we have given us a solution, and we just need to find the money now and get it done,” Palmer said.
“I promise you within 13 months, there’ll be a three-foot pipe in there,” Southworth promised. “I’m just asking for you guys’ help to get rid of a couple of trees and give us a hand.”
Southworth said that he will be calling to have the sewer line marked so there is not a problem digging.
“If that sewer system is not 3’ below the ground, we have a problem,” Southworth said.
The residents pledged that they would remove the trees to make the installation of the pipeline possible.
(LEFT) A hard rain causes flooding on Center Avenue in Manor Township. (RIGHT) Supervisor Bob Southworth told residents to remove trees so the old pipeline can be trenched and a larger pipe installed to carry the volume of water.