CARY — A group of Cary homeowners has a smelly problem on their hands. The lake at a Kildaire Farms subdivision was drained to make a repair. Aside from having the unsightly view of a muddy lake bed, there are hundreds of dead fish.

The local homeowners association that owns Lake Kildaire pulled the plug, saying there was a problem with one of the drains. They say the only way to fix it was to empty all 40 acres.

Residents of Fox Chase are complaining of asthma and allergies because of mold spores. There is also no plant life in the lake anymore, so geese are eating grass.

Ann McConville and others want their lawns and their lake back to normal.

"It's just a horrible thing. You just don't kill fish like that," McConville says. "I don't think that they had to drain the entire lake, but maybe they did, but nobody has gotten back to me."

The homeowners association says it notified people along the lake. At first, the intention was to just lower the lake level, but the drain problem was worse than expected.

The association has ordered the part it needs for the drain, but it has not come in yet. It could take weeks or months for the lake to fill up again. It primarily fills up from rainwater.

Residents plan another meeting for Thursday night, where they hope to address ways to clean out the lake before it fills up again.