Persistent flooding alongside a provincial roadway in the Hamlet of Eddystone is causing problems for residents, RM of Alonsa Reeve Stan Asham says.

About two miles of road on Provincial Route 68 where it passes through Eddystone have flooding issues, Asham says, and all residents on the west side of the roadway are overrun with water.

"There's kids there that have to wear rubber boots to go out and meet the school bus," the RM of Alonsa Reeve explains. "There's a senior's home at the north end that is pretty much flooded, and the sump pumps are going there steady."

"And it's going to end up a health problem," Asham continues. "Everyone has their own wells, which could be polluted. Everyone has their own septic tanks in fields which could flood, and pollute everything around them."

Asham says the road was built about 10 years ago, and it's caused water problems since. The provincial government tags the cost of the fix at $50,000, Asham says, but are only willing to cover $25,000, asking the RM to enter a cost-sharing agreement.

"We are dead against spending our budget on highways property," says Asham, noting local contractors have provided estimates much lower than the provincial government's projected price for the work. "We don't feel right taking our tax dollars from our budget to do highways work."

At its meeting earlier this week, RM of Alonsa council commissioned its CAO to write the government, urging it to spend its pledged $25,000 on the work -- but making no commitments to chip-in any municipal dollars.

"I don't know how it's going to turn out yet," Asham says. "But my council is very opposed to spending money on their right of way."