A West Virginia homeowner says rain now sends water from a school construction site across her driveway, yard, and carport.
Sharon Stewart lives on Moran Avenue in Mullens, across from construction on a new $24 million K-8 school in Wyoming County, according to WVVA.
Stewart said the street was quiet before construction began. Now, she says, the noise starts early, and the bigger concern arrives whenever it rains.
For homeowners, the dispute is about what happens when a major project changes how water moves through a neighborhood. Even work across the street can affect a driveway, yard, foundation area, or carport if runoff is not controlled before it leaves the site.
Water Is Running Through the Yard
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Stewart told WVVA that when it rains, water runs from across the street, fills her driveway, crosses her yard, reaches the back of the house and carport, and exits behind the carport. Two storm drains sit in front of her home, but Stewart said they cannot keep up with the amount of water coming from the construction site.
She described the scene as looking like a lake running through her private property.
The School Board Says the Issue Is Being Assessed
The construction property is owned by the Wyoming County school board, WVVA reported. According to the station, the board’s attempted fix was to place a sock along the driveway to hold back some of the water.
Stewart said that did not solve the problem. A response to WVVA said the school board is working with architects, engineers, the general contractor, and the City of Mullens to assess and address the situation.
The City Says Some Work Falls to the Property Owner
The Mullens town manager told WVVA the town has been working with Stewart and is doing what it can to help. The town also said some issues need to be addressed by the property owner, the Wyoming County school board.
Stewart said she has seen some work being done, but she is still waiting for a fix that keeps runoff from moving through her property when it rains.
Construction Runoff Is Supposed To Be Managed
The EPA says regulated construction activity generally includes earth-disturbing work such as clearing, grading, and excavating. The agency says construction stormwater permits must address erosion and sediment controls, pollution prevention measures, and stabilization of disturbed areas.
West Virginia’s stormwater program says construction sites that disturb one acre or more, including smaller sites that are part of a larger common plan of development, must obtain authorization under a construction stormwater permit.