SAN TAN VALLEY, AZ — Residents in several new home communities in the Phoenix metro area are dealing with holes in the ground and sinking spots that appeared after this year's monsoon rains, raising concerns about soil compaction and proper drainage.
Haleigh Hindman moved her family into a brand-new master-planned community in San Tan Valley about 18 months ago. She said its amenities and walking paths attracted her, but after the monsoon season, she and her neighbors noticed troubling changes beneath their feet.
"After the rains happened, we noticed just a lot of holes forming in the grounds and the community spaces, some neighbors saw it in their yards," Hindman said.
Neighbors said the street caved in at least two spots in the community, which is located near Combs and Schnepf roads. When ABC15 was on site in late October, metal plates covered the roadway in at least two areas. Hindman shared a photo showing where the road had fallen in around a manhole cover.
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"I didn't actually quite understand how significant the hole was until we passed by and we noticed that one of the drainage holes had actually sunk into the ground underneath the street. And just that's scary," Hindman said.
Temporary orange fencing was also installed around several large depressions in green spaces throughout the community.
Hindman said work crews had filled in some of the holes in early November, and they repaired and reopened the street with the most significant damage.
Edgewood Estates residents complained to state regulators
Hindman reached out to ABC15 after seeing a report about damage to yards in another new San Tan Valley community called Edgewood Estates.
After heavy rains in October, more than a dozen neighbors discovered large depressions in their yards. Holes undercut driveways. There was even a sunken section of road.
This week, neighbors sent ABC15 photos showing the homebuilder is making repairs.
Meanwhile, the Arizona Registrar of Contractors, which licenses homebuilders, said investigators are looking into three construction workmanship complaints.
The ROC advised new homeowners who experienced sinking spots or drainage issues in their yards to first contact their builder for repairs. Residents can also file a complaint with the ROC if the issue occurred within two years of closing escrow.
Expert Analysis Points to Soil Compaction Issues
Joe Cook, a research geologist with the Arizona Geological Survey, reviewed ABC15's videos and pictures of the sinking spots. He said the damage depicted doesn't indicate serious fissures caused by over-pumped groundwater, but rather small settling issues.
"If any place under there wasn't compacted right, or there were old roots that are now rotting away," Cook said, "It is like a mini sinkhole."
He said housing developments, especially those built on former farmland, can experience settling problems depending on soil type and the compaction process used during construction.
"We get a lot of calls because the builder builds whole neighborhoods and maybe doesn't get the drainage sorted out right. So any place where water is allowed to pool or soak in is going to compact the soil there," he added.
For smaller depressions in yards, Cook said homeowners can often handle repairs themselves.
"Any sort of yard slumping, you can generally just kind of fill it in and compact it yourself," he said.
