Oakland County Road Commission Update

Oakland County Road Commission says this is not their responsibility. So who is responsible for a failing leaching basin?



In the sping of 2009 when the ditch was long and narrow, before standing water caused it to widen in the middle.



The end of July, 2010: Leaching Basin has sunk into the ground, and erosion has formed a widening bowl of water in the center. I'm concerned about the tree in the front yard; it appears to be leaning due to the ground becoming over saturated to the point that it cannot support the tree.



This is the lowest the water level has been in two years.














We got some rain the first week of August, filling the ditch and leaving about 2 - 3 feet of standing water in the center.





More pictures of the standing water after the rain:









August 6, 2010: This is the first time in two years that the drain cover in the center of the ditch has been visible. The hole is still wet and muddy. The leaching basin has sunk into the ground. Eventually, there will not be enough support for the tree. It will fall over into the street.

More pictures taken August 6, 2010:









The weather forecast predicts a dry weekend with a chance of rain and storms every day next week. It only takes one day of heavy rain to fill the ditch up to the top. If we get 5 days in a row of rain, my entire front yard will be flooded and I will end up with a foot of water in my crawl space.

I have had several basement/crawl space contractors evaluate the problem and give me an estimate for waterproofing. When I asked them where the water would be pumped to, they said the ditch out front. So what happens when it is full?

They informed me that they cannot waterproof my crawl space until the problem is resolved. They told me to call the Oakland County Road Commission! A lot of good that had done!

I purchased my hhome in the Summer of 2008 and everything was fine. The problems began in the Fall of 2008. I've made several calls to the Oakland County Road Commision, and we are finally getting answers (but not solutions).

Click Oakland County Road Commission responds to read what they have to say.

Oakland County Road Commission Sleeping on the Job!

The Oakland County Road Commission refuses to repair damaged storm drains in residential neighborhoods. There has been standing water in front yards for 2 years now. This is a health hazard. Mosquitos are terrible. We cannot sit out on our front porch in the evening without being eaten alive!

My neighbor finally got fed up with the Oakland County Road Commission and attempted to unplug the storm drain himself. I saw him reaching into it with a shovel to remove mud and gunk from the drain under his driveway.

Residents shouldn't have to do the Oakland County Road Commission's job!

Does anyone know who to turn to for results?

I spoke with Jim Runestad, the County Commissioner assigned to this area, but he was unable to get the problem resolved. He did make calls and kept me informed; however, the problem still exists.

Is it possible that I could be talking to the wrong people? Who's job is it to maintain strom drains at the street? If the Oakland County Road Commmission is not responsible, they could at least direct me to the right people to get this fixed.

Oakland County Road Commission Snow Plow Damage to Resident's Yard

Oakland County Road Commission still has not done anything about the water in my front yard. The ditch was filled to the top and flooding into my yard after the rain Sunday.

I've just found a post from someone else who is having a problem with the Oakland County Road Commission. A local senior citizen who is disabled just paid for professional landscaping last year, only to have the OCRC snow plow ruin it! They are not bad-mouthing the Oakland County Road Commission; they are just stating facts. All they want is to have them repair the damage.

Read the original complaint at http://www.complaint.tv/oakland_county_road_commission-200.html

Oakland County Road Commission Doesn’t Seem to Care about White Lake Storm Drains

Oakland County Road Commission update: Someone from the Oakland County Road Commission came around to take pictures and analyze the area soon after my last press release back in March. When I went out to speak to him, he said they were responding to a request from the County Commissioner to check the problem out.

I’m not sure if he was just there to “tell me what I want to hear,” or if he really cares. He seemed nice enough, but that is a “public relations” expert’s job. He returned a couple days later to give me a drawing, indicating water levels in the area.

At first, it looked like we might get some positive results. His recommendation was going to be to install what he called a “closed ditch system.” He said they would try to get the funding for the project from FEMA.

A couple weeks later, the same man came back to take more pictures and to inform me that FEMA would not fund the project. When I asked what the next step was, he said he was going to recommend that the existing system be repaired.

It appears the Oakland County Road Commission just doesn’t care about inferior storm drains unless they are actually causing a problem with the roads. It’s been over a month and I still haven’t seen anything get done. I understand these things can take time, but I’ve been talking to the Oakland County Road Commission since the Fall of 2008.

Thankfully, it’s been dry lately, but the water is not drying up. The catch basin seems to have sunk deeper into the ground because of the excessive saturation. Next time it rains, the ditch will fill up and the water will flood my front yard again. I wish it would do some serious damage to the street so it could be fixed!

Follow my blog for future updates…Please feel free to leave a comment if you have a helpful suggestion for me or if you just want to “rant, rave or vent” about the poor service we receive from Michigan government agencies.

Update Oakland County Road Commission Drainage Problem: Looking Forward to Spring or Dreading it?

The Oakland County Road Commission has done nothing to fix the drainage problem. I’ve also spoke with Jim Runestad, the County Commissioner assigned to my area. He made some calls and kept in communication with me; however, there has been no solution.

My neighbors and I have been living with it since the fall of 2008. I was hoping to have some good news by now to update my blog with, but I’m afraid the problem is just going to get worse.

Today, the catch basins in front of 3 homes are all full of water. Rain is predicted over the next few days and I’m concerned about flooding in front yards and crawl spaces. The excess water has no place to go. It pools in the front-yard ditches and stands there until we get weeks of dry weather.

I’ve noticed that the wet area has grown wider since last year. My front yard appears to be eroding. The area where the drain is has sunk deeper into the ground because it is so soggy.

In addition to damage to landscaping and structural damage to homes, residents also have to live with a very heavy mosquito population as they breed in wet areas like this. We have ducks, frogs, seagulls and everything you would expect to see in swampy areas, in our front yards.

Should I put up “no fishing” and “no swimming” signs?

Do you have a similar problem?

Has anyone had this problem in the past and been able to get it resolved?

Please post your comments and tell me what you think.

A White Lake Homeowner’s Worst Nightmare: Water in the Crawl Space

This article covers some of the concerns a White Lake Homeowner is facing because of a water drainage problem in the neighborhood. The Oakland County Road Commission is responsible for maintaining the storm drains.

Structural Damage

Standing water in residential crawl spaces and basement can cause immediate and long-term problems for homeowners. Wet, muddy crawl spaces make it difficult for accessing and maintaining plumbing and electrical systems. High humidity allows mold and mildew to grow, causing musty odors and mold in homes. Over time it can cause deterioration of floor joists, beams, flooring and electrical systems. The excess moisture causes the footer and foundation to weaken causing wall settlement and cracking. Eventually, homeowners will experience cracked walls, warped subfloors and even doors and cabinets being difficult to close.

Increased Heating and Cooling Bills

As the excess moisture penetrates the subflooring and moves to the drier areas in the home the humidity causes an increased amount of energy used for heating and air-conditioning, resulting in higher bills. The repairs can be very expensive; however, necessary to maintain a home’s value.

Mold Causes Health Problems and it Stinks!

Molds are fungi that grow and thrive in warm, damp and humid conditions. Air born mold spores cause health problems including allergies, asthma and fungal infections. It can also irritate your eyes, skin, nose, throat and lungs.

Moisture, dirt, dust mites and mold spores form under your home are sucked up through the floors and spread throughout your house. This is the most common cause of musty odors, allergies and other health problems. When you have an excessive amount of humidity under your home, it naturally gravitates up into the living area, causing upper respiratory problems and triggering asthma attacks.

Termites, Spiders, Snakes and other Vermin

Excess moisture under a home is a breeding ground for termites which love to feast on rotted wood caused by wet crawl spaces. This is very damaging to your home. Snakes, spiders, centipedes, cockroaches, rats, dust mites, termites and many other forms of vermin thrive from humidity caused by wet crawl spaces.

Excess humidity provides a breeding ground for an entire food chain of organisms, from the smaller, microscopic organisms living under your home to the larger ones that invade your living space. All these organisms reduce the indoor air quality in your home and cause health problems.

Cause of Water Problems under your Home

The source of the problem is inadequate drainage around the foundation wall including roof water that is not carried away by gutters and downspouts. When rain water runs off the roof that doesn’t have gutters, it goes straight down and leaks into the basement or crawl space.

Excessive watering of flower beds near the home can also cause a problem as it seeps into the ground near the foundation instead of draining away.

Subsurface or ground water that accumulates near the foundation will eventually cause pressure to build up, forcing water through joints and cracks in basement walls or footings. Water tends to go to the lowest possible point; your crawl space or basement!

Nearby springs may have been filled in or covered up by the neighborhood developers when your home was built. These springs should have been properly drained away from the subdivision. If the job was not done properly then excess water eventually seeps into the surrounding fill, becoming a pool of groundwater that eventually forces it way into basements and crawl spaces.

Improperly installed drains around the footer or foundation can become clogged or collapsed causing groundwater to build up and seep into the basement or crawl space. Even a good perimeter drain can end up buried during the final backfill stages of construction leaving excess water no place to go but into the basement or crawlspace.

The Solution

It all comes down to proper drainage of excess ground water. There are many basement and crawl space waterproofing companies who can come to your home to do an inspection and give you an estimate. This can be very expensive; however, necessary to preserve the value of your home and the quality of the air that you breathe.

An Extreme Case in White Lake Township

In the case of a homeowner in White Lake Township, the Oakland County Road Commission is responsible for part of the problem. The example I’m referring to is a home with a ditch and catch basin in the front yard and storm drains that run under the driveways. This home sits at the lowest point on the street and originally was on a dirt road. When the road was paved, they failed to put in a proper drain field for the excess water. There is a big hole under the ditch and a grate in the middle where the water should go when there is a lot of rain, but it just fills up; it does not drain away. When the water has no place to go, it ends up in the front yard and the crawl space floods. Even on a dry day, the water level remains high in the ditch and the front yard is soft and spongy.

Since there is no sewer system in the area, the Oakland County Road Commission is supposed to come out and pump the water from the hole and take it to a nearby lake to dispose of it. When they refuse to provide this service the groundwater accumulates and puts pressure on the foundation of the home. Even if the homeowner has a proper drain system and sump pump installed in the crawl space, the water will just continue to seep back into the crawl space and eventually burn up the sump pump that runs constantly and increases energy bills.

The homeowner has made numerous calls to the Oakland County Road Commission who claims to be busy, 24/7 taking care of roads that are under water! Yeah, right! They say they’re under staffed and over worked or there is inadequate funding. If they spent as much time working to solve the problem as they do complaining and making up excuses maybe there wouldn’t be a problem.

The next step taken was to call the Oakland County Commissioner assigned to the White Lake area, Jim Runestad. Jim has been kind enough to speak to the homeowner and listen to her concerns. He has also made several calls to the Oakland County Road Commission. So far, the only results he has gotten is the promise to put this particular request at “the top of the stack.”

So where does someone turn to for help in this situation?

Mold – Danger Lurking in your Home!

Molds are microscopic organisms that exist everywhere; inside and outside. Molds are a necessary part of our world; molds, mushrooms and yeast are fungi needed to break down dead material and recycle nutrients in the environment. Though necessary for the environment, mold can be hazardous when it lives inside your home.

In order for mold to grow and reproduce it needs organic materials as a food source, including leaves, wood, paper and insulation. Add heat and humidity above 50% and you have the perfect environment for mold to thrive.

When mold lives in a wet basement or crawl space it destroys your home as it eats away at floor joists and insulation. Air born mold spores that are naturally sucked up through the floor into the high and dry areas of your home can become toxic.

Health Problems

The most common health problems suffered from exposure to mold are upper respiratory problems, inflammation, allergies and asthma. Some of the many symptoms that one can suffer include nasal and sinus congestion; dry, hacking cough; suppressed immune system; asthma and infections; red, watery, burning eyes; sore throat; skin rashes and headaches. During extreme cases people have can also suffer from memory impairment, chronic fatigue, aches and pains, mood swings and food allergies.

Types of Indoor Mold

There are hundreds of varieties of mold. The most common of indoor molds are Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus and Alternaria. Then there is the nasty Stachybotrys chartarum, known as black mold. Black mold produces toxic properties known as mycotoxins which are produced under certain conditions such as humidity, temperature and pH; they can appear in both living and dead mold spores.

As Stachybotrys grows a wet slimy layer prevents them from becoming airborne; however, as the mold dries, air currents can carry it throughout your home. The greenish-black mold thrives in humid areas like wet crawl spaces, and grows on fiberboard, gypsum board, paper and dust.

Some people experience asthma and upper respiratory problems when exposed to very small amounts of mold while others can tolerate higher concentrations of mold spores before becoming ill.

People with compromised immune systems, elderly people, infants and children or people undergoing chemotherapy are most susceptible to the ill effects of mold.

When you have water in your crawl space you have a breeding ground for dangerous molds. As they grow and thrive they are sucked up through the floor and spread throughout your home through the duct work.

Mold is a fungus that invades your home and your body. Once mold starts to grow in insulation or wallboard, the only way to get rid of it is to remove and replace the material. Ductwork must be professionally cleaned. Cleaning a mold infested home can be very expensive.