BROWNSTOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — As Wayne County residents recover from flooding, Larry Bussell said it's a year-round problem for him and it's only made worse during heavy rain.
He said his issue is getting the county to fix the problem and that it's been a problem since October 2021.
Bussell lives along Inkster Road in Brownstown Township. In front of his home on either side, the ditches at the roadway are full of water. He said they are 4 to 5 feet deep.
However, the ditch on the other side of his neighbor's driveway hardly has water. Only a trickle is seeping through.
He said the culvert under his neighbor's driveway is blocked, and it's causing the water to backup into his yard and over his driveway.
“Never this bad, though. This is the worse it’s ever been," Bussell said.
The area also stinks. He said sewage is stored below the yard. So, Bussell also has health concerns.
“This is my septic field," he pointed.
Bussell explained, “I got waste in there, and I got to walk through there to get my mail (and) to take the garbage out."
He's got a binder full of flooding photos from the past couple years. Back in October 2021, Bussell said he filed a service request with Wayne County Department of Public Services.
“Wayne County came to look at it one time, brought a vacuum truck and they tried to unplug it over here at this driveway and they were going in the wrong area. So, what they did, they collapsed the whole side. Now, it’s a total blockage," he explained.
"There’s no drainage whatsoever. So, they made it worse, and they never came back," Bussell continued.
When he calls the county, Bussell said he’s constantly told he’s on a list to be serviced but no date is scheduled.
"These are all the times I called and people I talked to," he said, showing a list.
7 Action News reached out to Wayne County's spokesperson and relayed Bussell’s information. The county shared a statement that reads:
"The recent flooding caused by unprecedented rain has exacerbated the situation in question. Wayne County has been taking steps to correct this which includes culvert cleaning. The good news is that we currently have a vendor identified to assist in our efforts. We understand the frustration our residents have.
We are sending a crew to the property to consult with the homeowner; we want them to know we are doing everything possible to address the issue.”We're told someone is looking into our request for information and will get back to us. We will stay on top of this and let you know what happens."
At 9:31 p.m., Wayne County shared another update:
"Wayne County's leadership immediately engaged with the homeowner and uncovered a pipe blockage at a neighboring property, impeding effective water drainage.
This challenge arose due to the old age of the surrounding infrastructure which further emphasizes the need for our elected partners on the state and federal levels to work with us to create an infrastructure funding mechanism built for today’s reality, not the receding past, which County Executive Evans has identified as a priority. Presently, we're in the process of clearing this obstruction, ensuring the seamless flow of water."
