Is Santee Road Swale a Public Safety Hazard?

John McAtee asks Commissioner to address swale problem.

In 1957, a six year-old boy was nearly swept away by raging storm waters at the intersection of Santee Road and William Penn High Highway. Then in 1977, tragedy struck. Nineteen year-old nursing student was on her way to Northampton Community College when her car stalled in a heavy rainstorm at this dangerous intersection. She walked to what was then the Butztown Hotel to call for help, but on her way back to the car, she was swept away and sucked through pipes and into Nancy Run Creek. Her body was found the next day.

Bethlehem Township reacted by installing an underground storm water system at this fatal intersection. But just three blocks uphill, John McAtee is concerned that history will repeat itself. His home, located right across the street from the Santee Road storm swale, has been flooded eight times over the last thirty years when the swale spills over and cascades onto his property.

The swale is part of a system originating at Johnston Drive and East Boulevard in Bethlehem, and eventually winds its way down Santee Road.

At their August 1 meeting, McAtee asked Bethlehem Township Commissioners to authorize an engineering study, citing the danger to the community, especially to children living in the apartment complex off Santee Road. "If one of them falls into that swale, you're going to find them down at Nancy Run Creek," he warned. "It's an absolute public safety hazard."

President Arthur Murphy told McAtee that several years ago, after a hurricane, Commissioners formed a committee to investigate storm water runoff in that area, and determined that much of the water is coming in from the City of Bethlehem.

Commissioner Michael Hudak asked McAtee whether he had complained to the City of Bethlehem. "I'm a private citizen, landowner and a taxpayer of Bethlehem Township," answered McAtee, adding that his leverage with City officials is "nonexistent."

Thomas Nolan, who chaired the investigating committee, told McAtee that Bethlehem's shallow detention ponds, up around East Boulevard and Johnston Drive, are the likely reason for McAtee's problem. "They have a tremendous amount of water" feeding the swale, he claimed. But he noted that the City was found blameless in the death of the nursing student, and has used that as an "out" to avoid addressing the problem.

Santee Road swale, directly across street from McAtee home

"We could probably spend millions of dollars, putting it all underground, tearing up Santee. You'd have to go all the way down," Nolan stated, adding that there was really nothing the Township could do because there would still be too much water.

"What's another life worth?" asked McAtee.

"As soon as a storm comes, our guys are out there," noted Murphy, and McAtee agreed with that point.

Long time Bethlehem Township resident Martin Comer told Commissioners that when the surrounding area was farmland, there was no problem. "We're getting more water from Bethlehem than we can handle," he concluded.