Ark Valley News - Why no plan for the rainy days?

Why no plan for the rainy days?
Last Updated: May 28, 2015

We know it would've been hard to predict the heavy rainfall we've had the past three or four weeks in Valley Center, but we wonder whether someone forgot to consider the potential for flooding when designing and planning the early stages of the reconstruction of South Meridian.

The water problems that have disrupted the $6.7 million project seem ridiculous.

Engineers and contractors had to know Valley Center would receive at least some rain. Now, the heavy rains are forcing the contractor and the city to shut down Meridian for hours at a time.

That's more than inconvenient.

We understand that the underground storm sewer is not all hooked up yet, which prevents the flow of surface water, and it probably won't be finished for several months, but there has to be a better way to deal with the rain.

Much brighter minds than ours put together the Meridian reconstruction plan, but anyone could have told them there would have been at least some heavy rainfall in April and May in Valley Center. In Kansas, we get storms, maybe not 12 inches of precipitation in a week, but Valley Center rarely stays dry in the spring.

Maybe we're way off base. Maybe there isn't any way to deal with the water other than to shut down the road, pump water to another area and wait for the levels to recede.

In any case, we're grateful that the city takes steps to keep motorists safe by placing the barricades and forcing the detours. But it seems to us that someone missed a key step somewhere.

Alas, we keep hearing that it will be nice when the work is finished.

Unfortunately, in this case — where access to local businesses was guaranteed throughout the process (and residential and commercial taxpayers are paying more money for that kind of consideration) — the end doesn't justify the means.

— The Ark Valley News