LONGWOOD, Fla. – Seminole County Code Enforcement ordered the homeowner who clogged a stormwater pipe in the Shadow Bay Community to fix the issue by Wednesday, Aug. 7.
If she doesn’t meet deadline, the owner will be taken to special magistrate court on Sept. 12.
News 6 reporter Treasure Roberts checked with a spokesperson for Seminole County who said the homeowner has not rectified the problem. Roberts asked the county to let her know if and when she does.
Meanwhile, the community is still grappling with the flooding.
[TIMELINE: Longwood woman fills drainpipe with concrete, sparks neighborhood flooding]
Rush Patel has owned a home in the neighborhood for four years. He refuses to wait for a fix.
“If this is (going to) stop my house from flooding, I don’t mind spending a bit of money to ensure the safety of my family,” Patel said.
He purchased a submersible pump and put it in front of his home when it rains.
“How much is your house worth compared to a pump? It looks ugly, but the rest of the neighborhood right now looks ugly, anyway,” Patel said.
Patel said he can sleep well at night knowing the pump is safeguarding his home.
He explained that when the water reaches a certain level on the pump, it activates and then begins sucking water up, pushing into a tube that leads behind his house and into a retention pond.
Patel said the retention pond is lower than usual because there is no inlet since the stormwater pipe has been clogged.
“She obviously did this because she had an issue — a qualm — with whoever, right? So I don’t see her going back on herself after she’s done such a drastic move,” Patel said.
The flooding has caused mosquito breeding grounds to form and all sorts of creatures to appear, including catfish found in the road.
Patel has lost hundreds of dollars fixing a car damaged by the water, and his once well-manicured lawn is now a mix of weeds and bare spots.
“It’s frustrating,” Patel said.
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