A filthy backyard pool has people on South Kisner Drive near East Truman Road fed up.
“The water itself has gone thru stages; it's been green and mossy to completely black,” Kim Gibson, who lives directly behind the pool, said.
Besides the standing water being an eyesore it’s a public health concern - especially this summer.
According to the CDC, 20 Missourians have contracted Zika. Gibson is worried for her 10-month-old grandson.
“I fear to bring him out during the day because he's highly allergic to mosquitos and I'm just concerned for everybody's health,” Gibson said.
She added that she’s tried to talk to the pool owners without any results so she went elsewhere.
“I called the city and asked what could be done and the following year -- still nothing done. I called the city again then this year it's really looking bad - the same water sitting there,” Gibson said.
Her call in May led to the city taking action.
Independence Assistant Health Director Mike Jackson said on June 6 an inspector went out and wrote up violations for trash around the property and the pool’s stagnant water.
A month later, in a follow-up inspection the trash was gone but the water remained. So the city wrote up a ticket.
“I thought in July after the call they were doing something and I saw the pump running July fourth weekend for three days. We were hopeful and then it went out. So we saw some cleaning that they’re trying to do something but then it stopped again,” Gibson said.
No one answered the door at the house with the murky pool.
But on the phone one of the residents told 41 Action News the problem began when the pool cover ripped a year ago. They couldn’t afford the $1,800 to replace it.
Then the electric company shut off the power a month ago for non-payment.
According to the resident, power was restored earlier this week and they’re working to clean up the problem.
Gibson said they’re willing to lend a helping hand.
“My neighbor on the one side has a pump they would offer her for free. My neighbor on the other side is willing to drain it for free or install that pump so we will do everything we can to help them. If it's a financial issue just to correct the situation we just need cooperation, we can't make contact with them,” she said.
The city told 41 Action News during their two inspections, they treated the pool with a larvicide to reduce mosquito breeding.
The homeowners have a court date set for Sept. 28 for the city ticket.
------
Andres Gutierrez can be reached at andres.gutierrez@kshb.com
