YORK COUNTY, Pa. — A stormwater system in Windsor Township, York County is causing headaches for people in a nearby neighborhood.
"It's very frustrating," resident Bill Simms said. "We just keep dealing with it.”
Simms has lived in his Windsor Township home since 1992. He says he’s experienced damage to his property since nearby Larry J. Macaluso Elementary School school opened in 2010.
Simms claims the stormwater system for the school is not working, and the water isn’t flowing into the underground pipe.
"We've gone back and forth with the township and the school district," Simms said. "They really haven't given us any answers on what's going on with the pond across the street."
Simms says this is causing his property, and others around it, to noticeably wash away, exposing tree roots and part of the home’s foundation.
Simms says the issues keep getting worse and he’s now seeing damage inside his home. Many cracks in the wall and ceiling are visible on the lower level of his home.
Officials with Windsor Township declined an on-camera interview, but did explain the detention basin in question collects and mitigates stormwater runoff from the district’s property. It then runs under Simms’ neighborhood and into a watercourse through a network of storm pipes.
Simms' says he does sees any water in the basin when it rains. However, a detention basis does not consistently hold water. Township officials say it would be a problem if water was visible for more than a few days.
In a statement, the Township said in part, "Both Windsor Township staff and representatives from the Red Lion Area School District have investigated the concerns brought to our attention by Mr. Simms…. Neither has found any deficiencies with regards to the functionality of these stormwater facilities.”
Still, Simms says his property, and others in the neighborhood, tell a different story.
“They say it's working as intended, but [the] proof is in the pudding," Simms said.
He says he’s only looking for answers and solutions.
"Fix [the system]. I'll worry about [my property]," Simms said. "I just don't want any continuing damage to my property."