East Side drainage problems may be over

Workers with the city's public works department and Shelbyville Power, Water and Sewerage System were busy across from East Side School last week creating new access points to the town's underwater storm sewer system. (T-G Photo by Brian Mosely) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Drainage problems near East Side School should be reduced with the completion of work on the storm sewer in that area.

Workers dug a 20-foot-deep hole in a playground across from the elementary school last week to install manholes and obtain access to underground storm water pipes.

According to public works director Mark Clanton, the project was a joint venture between the city and Shelbyville Power, Water and Sewer. Work was completed Monday and the playground should be in good shape by the time school starts, he said.

"They have a sewer line there and we have a storm sewer line right beside it," Clanton explained. The storm sewer was part of an urban renewal project that took place in the early 1960s, he said.

However, there was no access to the storm sewer "from there almost all the way to the (Duck) river," Clanton said, and there was "no way to get into it until you got to the lower part of Dunaway Street."

So manholes have been installed as part of the joint venture that will give both the city and the utility access to the storm water system, Clanton said.

"The two entities worked real well together in getting this done," Clanton said. "They did all the digging out for us while we put this (the storm sewer) in."

Clanton said the storm sewer "was completely stopped up when we found it" and has been opened up about 40 percent, but a period of rain should be enough to open it the rest of the way up.

There had been flooding problems in the area of Eastside School, specifically between Walnut and Dunaway, and Clanton said that the work "might help with that problem."

"If we have any kind of problem with the storm water, we can now get down there and wash them out," Clanton said, adding that the idea was the brainstorm of the power company.

Clanton also praised the board of education for its cooperation in the project.