The Enquirer - Problem ponds
Here's another issue to keep an eye on. Cities make developers deal with potential drainage issues at the time of initial construction, and if the developer has enough open space they do it by building detention ponds, which is cheaper than building more sewer capacity. These ponds turn into an expensive nuisance if not maintained, and guess who gets the responsibility and the bill? The HOA, of course. Like the man says, the bottom line is money, and solving a problem with a detention pond can run into seven figures.

But what happens when the retention pond doesn't function properly? Who's to blame when the ponds leak or sediment builds up? And who fixes the problem when algae blooms begin to stink? Homeowners in several local communities have learned the hard way that getting answers to such questions can take years - and can cost a lot of money...If the developer has enough open space, building a retention pond that controls the flow into existing storm sewers is cheaper than installing bigger storm sewers. "The bottom line is money," said Petty.