Drainage to be reviewed in part of Abbeville

Abbeville is seeing more rain this week.
For some in the city, it will mean watching to see if water rises into their yards. Councilwoman Terry Broussard said that is the case for a specific area in her district.
Broussard brought the issue to the City Council during last week’s regular meeting. City engineer Richard Primeaux offered some insight into the area of concern. That encompasses the area between Charity Street and Godchaux Street and between Leblanc Avenue and South Lyman Street. Part of Franks Alley is also included. He said much of the area is six to eight feet on the elevation scale.
“They are constantly flooding,” Primeaux said. “At times, they have water flooding into their yards.”
Primeaux explained that the area of interest is about 55 acres.
“It’s a highly dense area,” Primeaux said. “There is a lot of population in it.”
Broussard said there are around 60 homes in that area.
In 2011, an upgraded drainage system that includes the detention pond near South John Hardy Drive greatly improved drainage in the area. However, Broussard said she still hears from constituents who have issues with water not draining quickly enough.
“The last time we had a big rain,” Broussard said of an event that occurred in May, “it was all over Facebook with people saying more needed to be done.”
Mayor Mark Piazza said that no residents in the area had reported flooding in their homes since the completion of the detention pond. During the June 15 meeting, Piazza said that area does have issues with trash and debris blocking ditches and catch basins. He said residents could help by making sure their properties are free of trash and debris that could affect drainage.
“We are going to make sure the jars and ditches are clean and unobstructed,” Piazza said.
Along with that effort, the council authorized Primeaux to conduct a drainage study for the area.
“We are going to do a more thorough study,” Primeaux said. “I can come back with an estimate of cost, along with whether or not the project should be an interior drainage design change, a (new) outfall, or both.”
Broussard said she is pleased to see something in motion that could lead to positive results for residents in her district.
“I’m pleased with the decision by the Council to allow Engineer Richard Primeaux to evaluate the interior drainage system in District D,” she said. “I understand that work was done in the past to alleviate as much of the flooding problem as possible.
“The City is in line to receive monies that may be able to be used for this type of project. I believe that this is the right time to address and resolve the major issue(s) within the city.”