Indianapolis News and HeadlinesWorking For You

Actions

Southwest side street flooded for months, neighbors ask for help

Posted at 7:35 PM, Mar 19, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-19 19:36:32-04

INDIANAPOLIS — For two months, neighbors who live along South Roena Street in Mars Hill, on the southwest side, have called Citizens Energy Group to address the flooded road.

Since mid-January neighbors have been frustrated with not seeing results.

"I am frustrated that after two months, this water is still flowing down our road like a creek. It's not a street anymore it's a creek bed," Denise Wilson, a southwest side neighbor, said. "When we step out in the water, it goes up over our ankles."

The water is coming from a leak in a homeowner's water meter pit, in their front yard.

"It's just ridiculous. It's absolutely uncalled for," Wilson said. "If one of our city officials lived on the street and this wouldn't be a problem anymore not for this length of time."

The confusing part is why the meter hadn't been shut off.

RTV6 contacted Citizens Energy on Tuesday morning and they sent a crew out to the location.

Citizens Energy said they've been out to investigate the problem several times. They've tried to slow down the leak over the past few weeks, but it didn't hold. Ultimately, the group said it is the customer's responsibility to fix because it's on their property.

The reason it had been going on for a while, according to Citizens Energy, is that they try to work with customers to give them time to complete repairs. But this homeowner indicated to them that they are unwilling to make necessary repairs.

That's when Citizens Energy stepped in to fix the problem on Tuesday.

As far as who's responsible for the water bill, Citizens Energy said they lost revenue because it's an "un-metered leak." The leak actually came from the meter pit, before the meter setting.