Water main break in front yard....

jonnyGURU

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A couple months ago, the county came out and installed a Sewer Cap on my side of the easement.

The dug a big hole, installed the sewer cap and then drove away.

A month later, I called them and told them they left a hole in my front yard. They came back out and filled the hole.

A couple days later I turned on my lawn sprinklers and I had a fountain that rivals Old Faithful.

I called the county again and they came out, dug up the yard again, replaced the broken PVC and left.

Now it's a couple months later. My door bell rang before 7AM this morning. It was neighbors telling me that they really like the swimming pool in the front yard.

I walked out into the front yard and saw a new, bigger geyser. This time, the sprinklers are off so it's not coming from any of MY pipes.

I walk up to the geyser and see that the water is coming from the newly installed sewer cap. But it looks like fresh water.

I went back into the house and there was no water pressure, so apparently there's fresh water coming out of the sewer cap. I go back outside and I can't even see the water valve to shut it off. It's under too much water.

I called the water department (which is city... not county, who is who installed the sewer cap) and the recording said if this was an emergency to call the sheriff.

I called the sheriff at 7:15AM. At 7:50 a deputy showed up. "There's nothing I can do. Sorry."

At 8AM I called the water department back and someone answered. She said she's send someone out. It's now 8:40 and I haven't seen anyone.

If this is on the house side of the meter, are they going to charge me for all of the water that's coming out of the main? Are they going to say this is my problem/resposibility because it's on the house side of the main?
 

Siva

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Mar 8, 2001
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I don't see how there is any logic behind them holding you responsible. Its obvious that the water main broke because of the work the county did.
 

Stumps

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Jun 18, 2001
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pffft, happens all over sydney all the time, average response time of sydney water board? 1hr 45mins...and sydney's in the middle of a water crisis
 

I see water main breaks all the time on the news, and I'm sure that poor Detroiters aren't charged by the city for water main breaks.

Good luck. :)
 

jonnyGURU

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Originally posted by: whitecloak
pics?

Here:

http://webhelp.org/images/water_main/sidewalk.jpg

You can see the water main to the left, completely filled with water, but no water coming out of it. To the right you can see where the sewer cap is installed. This is where the water is coming from, but it appears to be fresh water. Notice the semi-circle line around the sewer cap. This is where they dug. It appears to have SUNK a few inches!!!!

Here:

http://webhelp.org/images/water_main/sewer_cap.jpg

This is the sewer cap. But you can't see the cap. I don't know if it floated away or is deeper in the ground. But this is where all of the water is coming from.

Here:

http://webhelp.org/images/water_main/water_main.jpg

From another angle. To the right is the water main. You can see that it's completely underwater. To the left is the sewer cap. The dark spot is naturally where the water is coming out.

Here:

http://webhelp.org/images/water_main/water_everywhere.jpg

You can see it's been running for a while. The driveway is drenched and the gutter is full. Fortunately, it's downhill in the direction of the rice burner so the water is all running down to a sewer at the end of the road.
 

jonnyGURU

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Originally posted by: Eli
This thread needs more fountain.

Yeah. The water pressure has lowered significantly and the photos don't capture the "flow" of the water coming out of the ground.

Damn stills! We need a talkie!!!
 

Bullhonkie

Golden Member
Sep 28, 2001
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Water water everywhere and all the boards did shrink,
Water water everywhere nor any drop to drink.
 

jonnyGURU

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9:38AM.

Water still flowing.

No water in the house.

Toilet? Nope. :D
 

OutHouse

Lifer
Jun 5, 2000
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Originally posted by: jonnyGURU
Originally posted by: Eli
This thread needs more fountain.

Yeah. The water pressure has lowered significantly and the photos don't capture the "flow" of the water coming out of the ground.

Damn stills! We need a talkie!!!

you drined the city water tank!!!
 

jonnyGURU

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Oct 30, 1999
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Originally posted by: Citrix
Originally posted by: jonnyGURU
Originally posted by: Eli
This thread needs more fountain.

Yeah. The water pressure has lowered significantly and the photos don't capture the "flow" of the water coming out of the ground.

Damn stills! We need a talkie!!!

you drained the city water tank!!!

LOL! Yeah. Now the city has no water. :D

10:16. Nada.

Neighbor said he was out at 6:30 walking the dog and saw the water everywhere. Thought it was from me watering the yard. So I think it's safe to say there's about four hours of water out there, at least.

 

bonkers325

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
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Originally posted by: jonnyGURU
A couple months ago, the county came out and installed a Sewer Cap on my side of the easement.

The dug a big hole, installed the sewer cap and then drove away.

A month later, I called them and told them they left a hole in my front yard. They came back out and filled the hole.

A couple days later I turned on my lawn sprinklers and I had a fountain that rivals Old Faithful.

I called the county again and they came out, dug up the yard again, replaced the broken PVC and left.

Now it's a couple months later. My door bell rang before 7AM this morning. It was neighbors telling me that they really like the swimming pool in the front yard.

I walked out into the front yard and saw a new, bigger geyser. This time, the sprinklers are off so it's not coming from any of MY pipes.

I walk up to the geyser and see that the water is coming from the newly installed sewer cap. But it looks like fresh water.

I went back into the house and there was no water pressure, so apparently there's fresh water coming out of the sewer cap. I go back outside and I can't even see the water valve to shut it off. It's under too much water.

I called the water department (which is city... not county, who is who installed the sewer cap) and the recording said if this was an emergency to call the sheriff.

I called the sheriff at 7:15AM. At 7:50 a deputy showed up. "There's nothing I can do. Sorry."

At 8AM I called the water department back and someone answered. She said she's send someone out. It's now 8:40 and I haven't seen anyone.

If this is on the house side of the meter, are they going to charge me for all of the water that's coming out of the main? Are they going to say this is my problem/resposibility because it's on the house side of the main?

if its on your property, they will slap the bill on you.
 

jonnyGURU

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Now my wife is mad at me for cursing at the lady on the phone.

I called back and the lady cut me off mid-sentence to ask me for my address.

She then said that someone was on the way.

I started to explain the urgency of the matter and she cut me off mid-sentence again.

She asked me if it was water coming from the street or the meter. I told her meter and she said, with a VERY snotty tone of voice, "That's a meter break, not a main break."

I responded with, "I don't give a fÜck what it is. My front yard is flooded and I'm wondering when someone is going to get out here."

She hung up on me. My wife then told me that the police will probably be out here next. I said, "Fine. Maybe they'll fix the water meter!"
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
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Originally posted by: drnickriviera
Breaks after the meter, your responsibility. Breaks before, the cities.

actually that is wrong.

IF it is the cities fault (they were repairing the area you know) then they are responsible.
 

dartworth

Lifer
Jul 29, 2001
15,195
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Originally posted by: KC5AV
Good luck with it. I hope it is a main break, and not a meter break.



umm...if the water main had broke, I beleve they would have bigger problems than just a little water in the front yard.
 

allisolm

Elite Member
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Jan 2, 2001
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When I had a similar break and my husband wasn't home to shut off the water, I looked at a neighbor's meter to see where the shut-off valve was located, then reached through the water at mine and felt around until I located the shut-off valve and turned it. Worth a try to reduce that anxiety level. Good luck!