A group of 4th Avenue homeowners battling a water drainage problem are getting some assistance from the District of Invermere.

Though there’s a ditch across the street from the houses, which sit between 6th and 9th Street, homeowner Douglas Leibel says the angle of the road funnels spring runoff in the other direction, toward the buildings.

“It runs up against the street and up to the houses… and it just piles up because the ground’s frozen,” he told council, adding the runoff has caused building damage.

The district will take a stepped approach to dealing with the problem. First, it will install a rolled curb on the eastern side of the street, which should direct water towards the football field. If that doesn’t work, the city will look at installing a catch basin, and a concrete slab could be built in the centre of the road. The first option will cost between $1,000 and $1,500. Construction is set to begin later this year.