COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A Cobb County homeowner says rushing water from a drainage ditch is destroying his yard every time it rains.
That homeowner told Channel 2's Lori Wilson that the county is passing the buck on trying to fix the issue.
Michael Willenbrock has owned his property on Octavia Circle in Marietta for 15 years. He said that, over time, due to development, more water is flowing into his yard.
“As it's getting worse, there's more and more erosion. Now, it's getting to the point where the street is actually breaking off and coming into my yard,” Willenbrock said.
He told Wilson that he has contacted the county several times since 2004 about the issue.
He and his wife even tried to put up a wall to guide the water.
“Our thought was to get the water to come all to the ditch, but that's not really helping. It's just so much water over here,” Willenbrock said.
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Last year, Willenbrock said, he contacted a county commissioner who sent out an inspector, and he thought his problem was solved.
"When he got out of the truck, within five minutes he says, 'Oh, this is the Department of Transportation’s responsibility and I’m going to recommend that they pipe it,’” Willenbrock told Wilson.
But then, Willenbrock said, nothing happened.
Commissioner Bob Ott emailed Willenbrock on Thursday saying, in part, “There is nothing else that this office can do. It is unfortunate that this is the result of all your efforts, but that is what the law requires.”
“What I have here can handle my drainage. It just can't handle the county's drainage,” Willenbrock said. “I wouldn't know what to do. I'm not an engineer, and I'm sure it would be costly. But I really feel like this is their responsibility.”
A Cobb County representative told Wilson that the wall Willenbrock and his wife put up added to the problem. Willenbrock said he's hoping the DOT will come out and pipe the drain.
Cox Media Group
