Inspection: Drainage pipe in Loomis is ‘flowing slow’

Talk about it

LOOMIS — The tiny community of Loomis is plagued by flooding, and residents believe there is something amiss with drain tile intended to drain high water.

“It’s plugged. It’s stopped,” Loomis resident Dale Alexander told the Davison County Commission Tuesday morning at the courthouse in Mitchell. “It’s not operating. It needs maintenance of some kind.”

Drain tile was first installed in the small town in 1909 and a larger pipe was placed alongside it in 1988. Some of the old tile is still functioning.

The combined length is about three miles, Alexander said, but it doesn’t seem to be operating properly. The pipe passes through Loomis and the outlet is north of the small town.

District 2 Commissioner Jerry Fischer and Highway Superintendent Rusty Weinberg inspected the pipe Tuesday afternoon, along with Bob Hall, the “mayor” of the unincorporated town.

“It’s flowing,” Weinberg said. “It’s just flowing slow.”

A special camera will be run through the pipe to look for obstructions or other problems, Fischer said.

A Mitchell plumbing firm has a camera that has been used for such a purpose before, he said.

If it’s a minor issue, the county should be able to repair it, the commissioners said. If there is a major expense, local residents may be asked to pitch in and help pay for it.

Alexander, who came to the meeting with three other Loomis residents, said the township has some FEMA money “it hasn’t been able to decide what to do with,” and some or all of that may be used to deal with the problem.

He said many residents have water in their basements and water has pooled around town. Alexander, who has lived there for about 30 years, said Loomis now has about 40 residents.

The town is located eight miles northwest of Mitchell.

Tags: news, updates, loomis