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Monongalia renter-owner describes basement flooding from abandoned drain; county offers facilitation but no immediate repair plan
Summary
A property owner told the Monongalia County Commission about continuous flooding in rental basements tied to an apparently abandoned storm drain; the county said the issue largely involves private property and floodplain rules, but staff will continue outreach and the floodplain coordinator will follow up.
Chad Matheny, a Monongalia County business owner and property manager, told commissioners on May 28 that two of his rental properties have had recurring basement flooding for more than two years and that an apparently abandoned terracotta drain tile on his lot is flowing at roughly 200 gallons per minute.
Matheny said he obtained a floodplain permit to raise elevation, but a neighbor complaint led to that permit being rescinded. He described pumping water continuously with a three-inch trash pump that moves “over 200 gallons a minute,” and said video shows flow entering both sides of an old 20-inch tile; he estimated a visible stream of about four inches in diameter feeding the drain.
Matheny said the water has damaged furnaces, water heaters and electrical panels and that repeated pumping is costly. He asked the commission what his next steps should be now that he believes the incoming water originates from an abandoned county or other-party drain.
Commissioners and staff described limits to county authority over private-property drainage but said the county’s floodplain coordinator, identified in the meeting as Hap, had visited the site previously and would continue outreach to affected neighbors. A commissioner said the county could facilitate discussions among private landowners and reach out to the Department of Health and State Road (as previously contacted) but that enforcement and long-term repair may require agreement among property owners or other jurisdictions.
A commissioner suggested the circuit clerk’s office could be used to search historical lawsuits referenced by Matheny. Matheny said he had been told pipe and drainage material had previously been removed for other projects during a prior administration, but he identified that history as hearsay and not personally witnessed. Matheny requested help identifying Hap’s supervisor when Hap has been unavailable; commissioners said they would follow up and confirm county points of contact for residents.
No formal motion or county funding commitment to repair the pipe was made at the meeting. Commissioners said staff would continue to contact state agencies and landowners to explore options, and encouraged Matheny to provide his photos and video to staff for further investigation.
The transcript records repeated expressions of frustration from Matheny about the pace of assistance and notes that county staff have previously visited the site and attempted to convene parties to discuss solutions.
