Flooding Still a Problem

Kendall Purser
Editor

While the rain comes as a welcome change from the haze and smoke we've had recently, it also causes concern for some Ammon residents.

Teton Street in the Hillview subdivision is one such area. During any reasonable rainstorm the run off from the subdivision pools on this street where several pumps struggle to keep up with the influx of water. This is due in part to Ammon's aging infrastructure. 

One pump in question was replaced only a few years ago, but the holding tank beneath the street was not designed to hold such a large amount of water.

I spoke to Jim Key of the Public Works department and he said that the city is planning on a larger reservoir when they widen the streets in Hillview but that isn't scheduled for at least three more years.

This issue caused one resident to put in what he calls "defensive landscaping" after a particularly heavy rainfall left the flood height only a few feet from his garage. During that same storm he said  garbage cans were drifting down the street and emptying their contents along the way.

The city does have several back up pumps they can deploy if things get really bad. On at least one occasion they have even called on the fire department to use their fire trucks for extra bandwidth. Thankfully a plan is in the works to remedy this situation so residents have hope for a flood free street in the near future.