Laguna Vista is moving forward with a nearly $1 million drainage project targeting neighborhoods where streets flood and turn into what residents describe as a lake after heavy rain.

The project will focus on Mesquite Drive, Ebony Lane, Orange Lane and Palm Boulevard from Hibiscus to Taylor Street, areas in what's known as the old part of town.

"Everything backs up, all the tree limbs and sometimes there's trash. There's lots of sticks, everything piles up and it clogs up," resident Seasunn Valerio said.

When it rains, water fills ditches, spills into yards and sits for weeks. That standing water brings mosquitoes and a foul smell.

"The water sits for weeks and it makes it hard to just spend time outside. It smells really bad with the stagnant water sitting. It's just unpleasant and almost slightly like rotten smelling," Valerio said.

Ditches filled with debris have left streets underwater for several years.

Laguna Vista City Manager Victor Treviño said the drainage issues stem from debris buildup and misaligned pipes under driveways that block water flow.

"They begin to fill up with debris and then driveways that have pipes under them, again they get out of line and so what happens the drainage doesn't flow," Treviño said.

The project is funded in part by the Texas General Land Office and the city. Treviño said the project was delayed after initial bids came in too high.

"This project basically started, got funded about two to three years ago. The only thing is that the first time around when they bid it out it, was just too high," Treviño said.

Construction is expected to begin in the next 30 to 45 days and last up to seven months.