Another Indianola homeowner told The E-T this week that she has been waiting almost a year for repairs to a pipe to be completed in her backyard, but this fix is not cut and dry.
Trina McCool said she first contacted the city in May of 2019 about a leak in her yard that was caused by a corroded pipe. The leak was fixed, but city workers have used multiple clamps on the pipe over the years, so it was decided that in order to complete the job, public works would need to replace about 75 feet of the two-inch underground plumbing.
Long periods of dry days have been scarce, and that is what is keeping city workers from moving heavy equipment into the McCool’s backyard, which could sink the machinery because of the water buildup, Mayor Steve Rosenthal told The E-T.
“We’re not putting it off,” said Rosenthal. “We can’t get back there… As aggravated as she is, think of what she would see if we were to sink a backhoe back there in her backyard. That’s exactly what would happen.”
McCool said at one time she sent out a text to the mayor and each member of the Indianola Board of Aldermen.
She said that Ward 4 Alderman Marvin Elder paid her a visit after the text, and her alderman, Gary Fratesi, has been vocal about getting the problem fixed, but she said not much has been done since she went to a board meeting back in October.
Just last week, McCool said, public works was at her home getting started when they left.
Rosenthal said the department got an emergency call and could not return.
Last weekend’s rains pretty much nixed the job for now.
“Today, it might have been able to work to get out there, but we’re probably going to get rain tomorrow or tomorrow afternoon, so it takes four or five good dry days to get equipment back there,” Rosenthal said on Tuesday. “You can go back there with a shovel, but you’re talking about a line that’s probably two-and-a-half or three-feet down, and we’re wanting to replace 75 feet of two-inch line.”
McCool said that she has been patient with the city, but she said this has taken too long to complete.
“If we get a week of sunny weather, it will be the first thing we do,” Rosenthal promised.
When the job is completed, the city would have removed the clamps from the pipe and will replace it with a solid pipe running through her yard.
“In my lifetime, I won’t have to be in her backyard again,” Rosenthal said. “We’ve been back there too many times. It should have never had that many clamps on it, because that pipe is rotted.”
