There has been a fair share of pooling water around the city, but experts are saying it’s supposed to be there, as the cost to place it elsewhere could cost billions.
“It would literally cost billions of dollars to go underground,” said Michael Keenum, a city engineer. “We roughly get 18 inches of rain per year, so the cost benefit just doesn’t make sense.”
Lubbock works on a surface draining system, where water travels down the road until it reaches a playa lake.
The decision to drain over the surface was made years ago, Keenum said. The stormwater fee seen on bills across the city is meant to pay off decades-old debt from drainage projects, he said.
Keenum says money isn’t the only reason why they keep the system.
“We’re flat, so it’s hard to get pipes underground to discharge somewhere, and so that’s why we’ve always stuck with our system,” said Keenum.
However, not everyone is happy with the decision.
“The other day I was stuck at Walmart and they were squeegeeing the water right out of the store,” said Brenda McAdams, a local resident. “I sat in my car, but by the time we got down the road, it was above my car, and I have a SUV.”
City officials said they are always looking at the situation, and as long as there isn’t prolonged flooding, then the draining is working.
“We are always evaluating, and looking to see what we can do better,” said Keenum. “If we can make an improvement we will, but sometimes, the solution is too expensive.”
