I get where you are coming from but I feel when you look at the greater picture this concern would be completely mooted. The fact is that most unwanted water happens due to construction, with things like streets, parking lots, driveways, etc creating impermeable surfaces that force the water to build up and flow downhill and into foundations when, if things had been truly left untouched, there would have been no problem at all to begin with.
Surely that's a mitigating factor that makes it much more acceptable to geoengineer water removal?
I think I'm trying to advocate for appropriate geoengineering, thinking about not just water removal but also how water should be removed (how quickly, where to concentrate water, atmospheric considerations)
At the least I'm trying to advocate for say, pairing a French drain design with a rain garden or something to slow water down. In some areas they actually incentivize planting trees close to sewer drain areas since it helps manage water during flood events.
Not trying to be pollyanna and advocate for a sponge city approach evrywhere either, I'm aware of the issues with permeable pavement potentially leading to sinkholes and such (ref: https://x.com/waterhodl/status/1660307940451000320 )
Surely that's a mitigating factor that makes it much more acceptable to geoengineer water removal?