HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — What started as a little yard work turned into a discovery buried beneath the ground near a Houston home.
A property owner on Wheeler Avenue said a hole suddenly opened up in her backyard while her former tenant was landscaping back in April.
“While he was weeding, the ground just gave way underneath his feet, and he fell in. He had been screaming for help, but no one could hear him because he’s back here,” said the property owner, Karen Jennings.
Jennings said the plumbing company she uses came out to take a look.
“While he drained the water, you could actually start seeing the cylindrical pattern in the bricks,” Jennings said. “Then he pulled the brick out. They had ‘Houston’ on it. Oh, no. This is no sinkhole. This is a city something.”
Her plumbing company told ABC13 it believed it was a piece of old City of Houston infrastructure, possibly a manhole.
For months, Jennings said she’s submitted 311 requests to get the city’s help filling it.
But according to the latest request, the wastewater operations department said it determined this was an abandoned groundwater-fed water well approximately 15 to 16 feet deep.
The department wrote in its report that:
“Further investigation indicated the well was previously covered, but the cover deteriorated over time, allowing bricks and debris to fall into the well and create the appearance of a sinkhole.”
A previous 311 report called it a private problem, not a City of Houston issue.
The hole is temporarily covered with plywood and a Houston Public Works sign.
Ultimately, she worries this could happen to someone else.
“Can you imagine that you sent your child to the backyard or your husband or a lawn care person back there,” Jennings said. “They’re back there working, and they disappear. Just disappear.”
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