Claremont residents fight surging ground water from flooding their properties
Residents in a Claremont neighborhood are working to keep water that is swelling up from the ground from flooding their property.
About 20 homes are affected with homeowners wondering where the water has been coming from over the past week. They want answers and help as they have had to buy equipment to pump excess water off their property, with city inspectors circulating to make sure the homes are safe.
The city is saying that water is coming from the "perfect storm" of multiple places.
Resident Vikas Mehta is using seven pumps and hundreds of sandbags in his backyard, as he works to keep the flooding under control.
He said it started as a trickle Easter Sunday and has steadily built up to gushing streams coming from pump pipes.
"We realize now that water is coming from everywhere under the ground, all on this property the water is coming from the ground," said Mehta. "… "There are millions of gallons flowing underneath the house and we don't even know about it because we are pumping seven pumps right now at two hundred thousand gallons per day."
Homeowner Victor Asemota noticed water gushing in his yard on April 2. "I thought it was a joke … whatever happens, needs to stop. Fix the problem, then take responsibility," he said.
The city of Claremont says the source is multipronged. Bevin Handel with the city of Claremont says they believe the flooding stems from the release of water from the San Antonio dam, snowpack melt, and the multiple storms that saturated the ground.
The Six Basins Watermaster, which manages the spreading grounds near the dam, says it's not their operation that's causing the excess groundwater, it's the overly saturated hillsides that are the problem they say.
The Watermaster also reported that the affected area of Claremont has historically high groundwater levels.
The city is providing sand and sandbags for residents and giving referrals for contractors who can help with flood control. The city also said they are working with the affected homeowners on various means for reimbursement of property damages