ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — Home and business owners near a retention pond in the Upper Brushy Creek area say an issue with its drainage system has lead it to overflow into the neighborhood.
Keeley Phillips, co-founder of Mack Phillips Tennis Academy, said one of her tennis courts has been completely underwater for more than a week after several inches of rain last week.
Phillips said at first, the rain started to fill the pond but once it subsided the water did not recede through a drain in its dam and water continued to overfill the area around the pond.
She said she and other neighbors contacted the Upper Brushy Creek WCID which manages the pond about the issue. They say the agency shared plans to send out a diver on Monday to address a possible clog in the drainage system.
Phillips said waiting for action has come at a cost to her students.
“I have a lot of kids who are actually in the middle of their high school season right now who are relying on practice times and we’re having to cut classes. So it’s impacting our players, it’s impacting us,” Phillips said.
David Parkansky has lived near the pond for more than 30 years. He said over the last 15 years, the pond has started to overflow even when it rains just a couple inches.
The longtime resident said he attributes that to silt at the bottom of the pond that’s affecting how much water it’s able to hold. He believes more needs to be done to keep homes like his safe.
“It used to take a rain event in excess of six inches for the pond to get anywhere near to this. These events just get closer and closer,” Parkansky said.
KXAN reached out to the Upper Brushy Creek WCID about these concerns but has not yet received a response.
A spokesperson with the City of Round Rock said the city would be following up with the Upper Brushy Creek WCID about the current conditions of the pond and that adjustments might be needed to the reservoir’s spillway.