SAN ANTONIO – A homeowners association on the city's North Side has been forced to drain a man-made pond, causing problems for ducks and geese that call the watering hole home.
The Eden Homeowners Association would fill the pond with a water pump, only to see the water level dramatically fall from one day to the next.
After getting a water bill for hundreds of dollars, the HOA had engineers look into the issue. The engineers found that the pond sprang a leak that will cost $35,000 to fix.
"And the only way we could do that is to allow it to dry out, to receive the funding needed, to make it a safe haven for the ducks," said Rose Bean, a homeowner. "If they (ducks and geese) could talk, I guess they're wondering, 'What has happened to the water?'"
While the association raises money for the repair, kiddie pools were set up in the pond, which volunteers try to refill frequently with fresh water.
But the pools are "not large enough to allow them to bask in the water and to do what ducks do," Bean said.
The association is also trying to find foster homes for the birds.
"They'll be able to receive the care they need until we get the pond restored and then they will bring them back," Bean said.
Bean said since the Eden Homeowners Association is voluntary, it doesn't collect fees from all its residents and hence the reason why it couldn't afford the monthly water bills or the needed repairs.