MACON, Ga. — On rainy days, some folks in south Bibb County hold their breath, hoping their yards and homes don't flood out.
It's been an issue in the Nowell Estates neighborhood for decades, and now, the Macon Water Authority announced a schedule for some proposed fixes.
Brenda Sanford says it's pretty common for the ditch next to her house to overflow when it rains. The water authority wants to build another series of drainage ditches and retention ponds to give the water somewhere to go.
"It kind of hits a dead end and then the water backs up. Which creates a problem for many people out here," Sanford said.
She and her husband know the drill. When there's a heavy rain in the area, they feel it.
"We can't walk outside the side door or the back door because it's so deep," Sanford said.
Now, a few months after the water authority announced how they'd stop the flooding, people like Sanford have an idea of when construction could start: As early as April 2024.
"It takes a little more than a year, which is going to be quite a long time for them to have access to our yard," Sanford said.
Next door, Jim Chevalley doesn't believe it'll happen. He says they've heard similar things in the past.
"I know we get letters now about promises, things like that. I'm just not real confident about it," he said.
Sanford says she's just glad to see something happening.
"It didn't seem real. We were just wondering if anything was being done, or any progress was being made. So, finding that out kind of helps some," Sanford said.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers surveyed some of the properties in the last couple of weeks. According to the schedule, that should continue through October. Then, they'll start on zoning, permitting and bidding.
The whole project could finish by late 2025.