Stewart's Botched Storm Drain Causes Flooding and Apparent Septic Failure

Flooding in Stewart, MN at the property of Chuck Paul.

In 2018 the city of Stewart, Minnesota, installed new storm drain lines. The map below shows one of the lines in red, which was installed on the SW corner of town. Where the red line ends, the city hooked up its new storm drain line to Delvin Bethke's private line, claiming his line was in the easement.

Current flooding as of November 2019.

However, when the city hooked up their new storm drain -- they were draining their 20" drain line into Bethke's 12" line. Delvin Bethke says this has caused flooding at his property and his neighbor's ever since.

The below photo shows flooding on the south side of Bethke's property. On the right side of the photo is Highway 212.

"The city took a shortcut and hooked a 20-inch line onto my private 12-inch line. This has caused flooding at my property for the past 2 years.  The city needed to clean out the road right of way, then install another drain tile to drain the city storm water to Lake Stewart."

The neighbor Chuck Paul's property has also been flooding.

Bethke explains, "My 12-inch line can't handle the load and the excess water backs into my pipe and floods my property. The are using my property as a holding pond."

The below picture taken November 7, 2019, shows the new storm drain line is not draining, but instead holding water.

The city's 20" drain pipe on the left, Bethke's 12" line on the right.

The below photos show standing water in the storm drain lines, sediment in the drain lines, which will build up and cause failure, and the bottom right shows washout from storms accumulating on private property.

ALLEGED RETALIATION BY CITY OFFICIALS

Bethke maintains he has been retaliated upon heavily by corrupt city officials for whistleblowing on their fraud. Bethke says this retaliation has included being harassed for cooking wieners, being fined for making "Pray for my City" signs,  the city trying to take his land, shutting off his water twice, failing to install requested utilities, filing criminal charges  for a claimed zoning violation, and many more things.

Now Bethke has been reported to the MPCA for a failing septic system -- when it appears to have been the city's botched storm drain line that caused it in the first place. Says, Bethke, "The septic system isn't working properly because the water table is getting too high from the new storm water line."

LIES REPORTED TO MPCA

It appears that whoever reported it to the MPCA lied. The letter from McLeod County Environmental Services alleges that there is sewage in the basement -- when there is no basement underneath Bethke's trailer house.

And just like the other instances Bethke cites -- once again there is a threat of criminal charges, charges which appear to be wholly based upon the city's wrongdoing. The below letter says, "You have till November 27th, 2019, to provide McLeod County Environmental Services with a compliance inspection or this matter wil be turned over to the County Attorney for review."

Bethke says he has consulted an attorney and is considering his options regarding holding the city liable for the cost of a new septic system.

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The storm drain line when it was being installed.

Storm storm tiles lined up on Grove Street before installation.

Storm drain lines buried.

Storm drain lines being covered.