A 68-year-old Houston woman says she is still searching for answers after standing water has flooded her backyard for more than a year, creating what she describes as a health hazard and ongoing inconvenience.
Merlis Wright said the persistent water has attracted mosquitoes and raised safety concerns. She first noticed the issue more than a year ago and contacted the city in hopes that crews could identify and fix the source.
“I noticed a leakage back here and I said, ‘Well, let me call the city and see when they come out and what they can do,’” Wright said.
According to Wright, city crews have visited her property several times and determined the water is not coming from a pipe on her land. However, she said she has not received a clear explanation of where the water originates or who is responsible for addressing it.
“They say they don’t know themselves because it’s so many of them back there,” Wright said. “They keep giving me, I guess, the runaround. It’s not fair to me.”
At one point, the water rose high enough to cover most of her backyard. To prevent further flooding, Wright dug a trench herself to redirect the water toward a city-owned drainage system.
“That kind of bothers me,” her son said. “Sometimes it makes me hurt because she’s an older lady.”
Wright said she hopes the city will step in and resolve the problem permanently.
“I wish they could resolve the problem,” she said.
The City of Houston has been contacted for comment, and a response is pending.