No damage was done to Walnutport Borough Hall after heavy downpours last week left substantial amounts of water inside the facility.

Borough emergency coordinator Michael Wentz told borough council on Thursday that the heavy rains last Monday evening left a mark.

Wentz said water entered into the building through a door that left 2 inches of rain in the vestibule and hallway by the police station.

Through quick work, Wentz said “We saved the floor.”

Wentz said that a pipe was found inside a wall that is believed to be a vent pipe for roof drains.

“We’ve had this building since 1994 (after the borough acquired it from the school district),” he said. “To correct it, we’d have to cut the wall open and try to extend pipe out through the wall.”

Wentz said the most important thing is that no harm was done to the building.

“The floor is safe, no damage,” he said. “The storm created a lot of havoc in a lot of places.”

More water concerns

Also on Thursday, Wentz told council there’s an issue with the Walnutport Shopping Center wanting to cross borough property with a pipe behind Snap Fitness.

Borough engineer Jason Newhard said he had some concerns with that.

“I’m on the fence with this,” Newhard said. “I’m really not thrilled with this.”

Wentz said the other issue is the borough got complaints from some of the businesses.

He said the stormwater comes from the shopping center’s property - specifically Snap Fitness Walnutport - over the curb and onto borough playground property, and whenever there’s heavy rains, it causes heavy damage.

Wentz said the stormwater is coming from behind Snap Fitness Walnutport, and that the owner of the shopping center has to take care of it.

He said there are also two dead trees that he’s afraid may eventually fall on the borough’s storage building.

“The issue is the water; he has to correct his drainage,” Wentz said after the meeting. “He wants to put some pipe in, but he wants to cross across borough property.”

Wentz also said the owner is in violation of the borough’s stormwater ordinance (which falls under the MS4 stormwater Act).

“I don’t think we should have to do it and spend money,” he said. “This water is coming from someone else’s property; he needs to take action to address it.”

Council President Michael Gaston said this isn’t the first time this issue has come up.

“We had other issues in the past up there,” Gaston said. “We’re getting their water already.”

Wentz said he’s irritated with the entire situation.

“It’s to the point where we spent all this energy and money to have a nice playground,” he said. “I get very frustrated (that) it’s damaging (the playground).”

The consensus of council was that the pipe is not to go across borough property.