Yesterday I wrote about the controversy caused by the Philadelphia Water Department’s proposal to tear up Pine Street to replace old and inadequate stormwater/wastewater lines.  The section of Pine Street under discussion includes Antique Row, the quaint little strip of antique and specialty stores from about 9th Street to 12th Street.

In the course of that post I mentioned how the Water Department has made plans in other parts of the city to relieve the pressure on the combined storm/waste water system by building large holding tanks that keep the water from backing up into basements or being discharged directly into rivers and streams during large rain storms.  It’s a controversial plan that worries residents who live near the proposed sites for these tanks for a number of reasons - the disruption caused by the installation, the effect on the view and, of course, the smell.

A colleague here at WHYY read that post yesterday and informed me that folks out in the suburbs are having similar difficulties, both with the basement and backyard flooding and the plans to fix it:

I thought you might find it interesting that the Bucks County Water & Sewer Authority (BCWCA) recently managed to get its proposed open top tank approved over community opposition in Bensalem.  I have included links to articles in the Bucks County Courier Times on the subject.  Flooding and storm water runoff have been a problem in Bensalem for years, and the issue raised in the NE Times article of improper hook ups has been of particular concern, as the BCWCA actually enters the homes of residents in flood prone areas to inspect sump pumps.  If they are connected to the sewer line, homeowners must either detach them, or redirect the flow to their yards, which, of course, regularly flood due to a lack of a proper storm water management plan when the homes were originally built.

As a city resident, I have a few reactions to this.  One is that the this governmental agency, the BCWCA has its act together enough that it actually, well, enforces the rules.  A major complaint in Philadelphia has been about the lack of oversight and enforcement of code violations by agencies like L&I and the Health Department.  Of course, they’re responsible for a much larger area and many more people and businesses so such a comparison would only be fair if we determine how much, per capita, is spent on enforcement.  If, as I suspect might be the case, Philadelphia funds its code enforcement agencies much less relative to the suburbs, then it’s a little more understandable.

To balance out that general complaint about the city’s enforcement issues, it looks like Philadelphians have it over their suburban counterparts when it comes to getting their elected officials to hold off on plans they don’t agree with.  As you recall, the point of my reference to the holding tanks was to show how Northeast Philly residents, working through Councilman O’Neill, were able to block the installation of that holding tank.  The account of Bensalem’s “open top” tank makes it clear that neighbor protest was ineffective.  So, whether you agree or not that such a tank would have been a good idea in Northeast Philly, you have to admit that they have some sway up there.

Finally, the last point: “regularly flood due to a lack of a proper storm water management plan when the homes were originally built.”  Many of these houses, and many of Philadelphia suburbs, were built in the time when the rush out of the city rivaled the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889.  They were built with little regard to things like zoning, planning and storm water management.  Most were also built when the automobile was in its ascendancy.  It was a time before “sustainability” was a common part of our civic vocabulary.  That myopia is our sprawling legacy today.

Thanks to one of our regular readers for that tip.  Anyone else in the ‘burbs or even in other neighborhoods of Philadelphia having issues that could be connected to the shortsightedness past generations or the sheer age of our infrastructure.  Drop me a line and let me know your story.