Town of Mukwonago -- Richard and Judy Ziebell have lakefront property in the Country Bliss Estates subdivision.

They don't want it. There isn't supposed to be a small lake in front of their home on S. Oak Tree Drive near Memory Lane. But there it is, at least 1 1/2 feet deep, down from as high as 4 feet in spots.

Heavy rains in June 2008 flooded the intersection and many basements in the subdivision.

Ever since then -- when the weather's wet or dry -- the Ziebells and many of their neighbors have been dealing with flooding woes, including water in their basements.

The Ziebells have five industrial-size pumps that constantly shoot water out of their home, as much as 800,000 gallons a day. Even with the pumps running, there still is an inch of water covering the basement floor.

Their electric bills top out at $600 a month.

Nobody is certain what is causing the problem. Some think the water table is high from heavy snows and rains in 2008 and that is wreaking havoc on homes built at low elevations. Others, like the Ziebells, say development on former nearby farmland is causing the water to flow their way.

Over the past year, the Ziebells have had to run the pumps for nine months. There was a break starting on Thanksgiving. But the water was back by late February, Richard Ziebell said.

"We can turn off the pumps and sell the house with an indoor pool in the basement," Judy Ziebell jokes.

But it is no laughing matter for the Ziebells and many of their neighbors. The Ziebells say 20 homeowners in the subdivision also run pumps to keep basements from filling with water.

Outside isn't any better.

"We should put a pier out here for a pontoon boat," Richard Ziebell wisecracks.

"It's Little Bliss Lake," Judy Ziebell said.

Residents of Country Bliss began appealing to Town of Mukwonago officials last year for help. A solution has been slow in coming.

Options debated

Now, the Ziebells are nearly ready to throw in their soggy towels and abandon their home, once valued at $270,000 and now worth about $145,000. It doesn't make much sense to keep paying for something that is going down in value, Richard Ziebell said, adding that it would cost about $30,000 to fill in the basement and move utilities or $92,000 to raise the foundation and house about 5 feet.

Town officials have talked about a $1.2 million plan to build a pump station and pipeline to send water from Country Bliss into Jericho Creek.

They also discussed a $600,000 plan to raise the elevations of Oak Tree Drive and Memory Lane to resolve street flooding.

Town Chairman Dave Dubey said the town hasn't been able to do anything yet because it doesn't have the money.