ðə wˈɔːɾɚ lˈɛvəl hɐdbɪn kˈɛpt ˌɑːɹɾɪfˈɪʃəli lˈoʊ sˈɪns nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti tˈuː wɛn flˈʌdz kˈɔːzd dˈæmɪdʒ tə nˈuːli bˈɪlt hˈaʊzᵻz klˈoʊs bˈaɪ.
The water level had been kept artificially low since 1992 when floods caused damage to newly built houses close by.