Backlog of city water projects has neighbors frustrated

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Every time there’s a heavy rain, people living in a Green Hills neighborhood worry about what’s going to happen to their homes.

News4 Investigates found the neighborhood isn’t even on the priority list because of a backlog of stormwater projects.

Neighbors said if you’re wondering how bad it is in their neighborhood, there’s a photo of a child literally being carried out of a house due to high water.

“At some point we become an island. Our house. We know we can’t get out,” said Emily Parish, who lives on Battlefield Drive.

“I’m living in this kind of filth condition with the mold and the parasites. Everything that sort of happens because of water,” said Ashley Larcinse, who also lives on Battlefield Drive.

Despite all of this, the harsh reality for this neighborhood is they have to wait their turn because of a backlog.

“I hate to see these projects happening when we’re constantly being affected,” said Lacrinese.

Just this year, three dozen water-related projects must be completed first.

News4 Investigates obtained a list of projects showing the total cost for all of the projects in 2021 is more than $15 million.

“I just don’t feel like they’re listening to us,” said Parish.

Neighbors want to know why they see signs for projects nearby but they can’t seem to get any help.

“We have to look at the proper use of our funding and spending $5 million to do something that’s not going to fix the problem is really not in our community’s best interest,” said Sonia Allman, a spokesman for Metro Water Services.

Allman said what it would take to fix the problem may not work due to the infrastructure there.

Metro Water Services said even though what’s happening on Battlefield Drive looks bad, there are more severe flooding and safety issues on streets like Wildwood Drive in southeast Nashville.

Neighbors said they don’t know how long they can wait.

“If they don’t fix the problem at some point we’re going to have more than property damage. We’re going to have maybe an accident or even a death,” said Parish.

As for the people living on Battlefield Drive, the city said it is working with engineers to see if there’s a smaller, less expensive fix.

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