Saxonburg to address flooding on Water Street
SAXONBURG — John Roebling, who founded Saxonburg in 1832, also was the one who gave the borough’s Water Street its name. Once every so often, residents find out exactly why Roebling saw fit to christen the street with that name.
On Monday, residents and business owners on Water Street experienced flooding due to a heavy downpour that overwhelmed the storm drain system. At the following night’s borough council meeting, one resident expressed her frustration.
“I thought the water issue was resolved years ago,” said Becky Pacek, who lives on Water Street. “That was a disgrace for this town and a huge hazard for the roads.”
Officials say the borough will do something about it this coming Monday by cleaning out multiple “catch basins” near Roebling Park, which may be clogged with foliage, preventing rainwater from depositing into the stormwater system.
On Friday, crews already had started trimming trees near the catch basin on Isabella Street, which crosses West Water Street. The purpose is to prevent more debris from falling into and clogging the drain system.
“We have had times where water accumulates, and it just takes a while for the catch basins to get rid of it,” borough manager Mary Papik said. “It’s like when your tub is really, really full when you first open (the drain), and it takes a while for it to go down.”
As the lowest point in town, Water Street is naturally where excess water collects during heavy rains. Roebling Park, which includes the Saxonburg Museum and John Roebling’s original wire rope workshop, is in the path of potential flooding, and the parking lot is usually soaked in such events.
While the east side of Water Street is populated with residential homes, the west side features Sprankle’s Neighborhood Market.
“The only thing we can do is keep the catch basins clean,” Papik said. “There are some very extensive long-term projects that could be addressed, but we would have to get grants to do so.”
