By Tracy Overstreet
tracy.overstreet@theindependent.com

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Independent/Lane Hickenbottom Cyndie Larson monitors the progress of standing water in her basement getting pumped into Grand Islandıs sewer system Thursday. The water has been a constant financial and emotional strain on Larson since it flowed there about a year ago. Independent/Lane Hickenbottom Fungus grows from the saturated pegboard in Cyndie Larsonıs basement, where water standing groundwater has remained since last April. Click Thumbnails to View

An Omaha company thinks it can rid the basement of her home at 2811 Circle Drive of the groundwater that has flowed there since April 24, 2007.

The water peaked at 1612 inches nearly a year ago amid above-normal rains, dropped to 612 inches last fall and was at 3 inches on Thursday.

"They think they can get it to no water by Friday," Larson said.

Thrasher Basements of Omaha is changing out some pumps and piping in an existing dewatering system that Larson purchased from another company years ago.

The updated system will then feed the basement water into the city's sanitary sewer system, which Larson said the city has approved.

But getting rid of the groundwater that has plagued her home, created emotional distress and bankruptcy is just the start.

Larson's home must then go through a mold-abatement treatment something that cannot be done until every item is removed from Larson's basement.

She hopes community volunteers can help on Saturday by carrying items from her basement.

"I'll be the only one in the basement, and I'll hand things up and out. A doctor's office has donated gloves and masks to wear," she said.

She's got a U-Haul lined up to transport the items to storage units donated by Niels McDermott.

She'll then treat the basement for mold, and Steamatic will bring in a dehumidifier and air scrubbers.

It's a monumental task after a rough year for Larson.

The water destroyed her furnace and water heater twice. With little savings, Larson used credit cards to buy sump pumps, chemicals to treat the standing water in her home and window air conditioners when her central air was destroyed.

With basement walls rotting, the mold has bothered Larson's housemates, her mother and her friend Marietta Hofferber, the latter of whom has incurred $400-a-month medical costs.

Larson's home value dropped from $97,713 to just $40,000 last fall.

She had hoped for area dewatering wells but admitted that option looked bleak after discussions before the Grand Island City Council last year.

In an attempt to see how widespread the groundwater problem was in Grand Island, the city sent out 4,500 surveys in November. They were targeted to residents who lived in the floodplain in the southern and western parts of the city.

Paul Briseno, assistant to the city administrator, said about 1,500 surveys or 33 percent were returned. About 900 of those included personal, written comments.

"It shows us there are a lot of people interested in this," Briseno said.

The survey results were tabulated and analyzed by the city's information technology staff.

The formal analysis is set to be shared with the public at the city council's March 18 study session, Briseno said.

Briseno said the survey results will show the Grand Island areas with and without groundwater problems.

How to help

Basement cleanup for Cyndie Larson

If you go

What: Grand Island City Council study session

When: 7 p.m. March 18

Where: Grand Island City Hall, 100 E. First St.

Topic: results of the 2007 groundwater survey and discussion