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Resident tells Linton board neighbor may be discharging gray water, board to investigate
Summary
A Linton resident told the Board of Works that a neighbor's modular unit had been draining water across his yard and reported persistent odors from chickens; the board asked staff to inspect the site and determine whether the discharge is illegal gray-water or a surface-water issue.
A Linton resident identified in the transcript as Dave described ongoing drainage and foul odors from a neighboring modular unit during the Board of Works meeting, asking the board to check whether the neighbor’s actions might violate city ordinances or state rules.
Dave said the discharge has kept part of his yard constantly wet and that the neighbor’s chickens and associated manure had created a recurring smell. He told the board he had previously worked with staff to remove chicken coops and that the odor had improved but the drainage returned. Dave said he had printed materials and photos and that online materials he reviewed suggested some discharges could be unlawful: “according to what we looked up online it just said it's illegal to drain your water to us,” he told the board.
Board members and staff discussed whether the problem is surface water, a sump pump discharge or an unlawful gray-water discharge (washers, dishwashers or kitchen sink waste). Staff noted that the distinction matters for jurisdiction and enforcement: surface-water flow and sump-pump discharge are treated differently from illegal gray-water discharges. The board agreed staff should inspect the site, attempt to determine the source of the water and whether the city has enforcement authority, and report back at a future meeting.
Dave told the board there are also title and boundary questions; staff said they could run title work and attempt personal contact with the property owner (identified in records as Don or family members). The board suggested asking for a property survey or performing title searches if necessary before pursuing formal enforcement.
The matter remains unresolved; staff committed to an inspection and to clarifying whether the water is gray water, surface water or a sump-pump flow and whether the city or a civil court action is the appropriate remedy. The board advised the resident to provide any additional evidence (photos, contact information) to assist the investigation.
