(WXYZ) — An ongoing water main project in Detroit's Greenwich Park neighborhood has left residents dealing with thousands of dollars in plumbing damage, dirty tap water, and torn-up sidewalks — and the work has stretched on for months.
See the full story from Detroit Reporter Randy Wimbley in the video below
April Morris says Detroit Water and Sewerage Department water main repairs and meter replacements at and near her home have created a cascade of problems.
Her water service nearly ran dry for a week during the repairs as gravel, sand, and dirt got into her water lines.
"It had nowhere — no water could get through. So when I turned on my faucet, it would be all dirty water and then it stopped," Morris said.
Morris says she and her husband spent close to $3,000 on plumbing to get things back up and running. Even so, water is still barely trickling out of some faucets.
On top of that, DWSD contractors had to clean up her basement after a meter replacement went wrong.
"They said when they went down there to put a new meter in there, it exploded. So all the dirt and everything in the mud was in the basement," Morris said.
Outside, the sidewalk on the west side of Hartwell Street has been reduced to dirt and gravel for nearly two blocks due to service line work.
Neighbor Gladys Woolfork says the disruption has made basic tasks difficult for some residents.
"Senior citizens who have to bring the garbage cans out. We haven't been able to get garbage cans out because of all of this," Woolfork said.
Woolfork also questioned the planning behind the project, pointing out that new concrete had recently been laid in the area.
"I think that it was a waste of taxpayers' money, the way they went about it because we had brand new concrete laid less than a year ago," Woolfork said.
The work began in early February and is now in its fourth month.
Ericka Meah, DWSD's chief operating officer, says the water main installation was completed earlier this month. She says concrete and lawn restoration will start in June and take about six weeks — a timeline she describes as typical for this kind of work.
"We do apologize for the inconvenience. We understand that this was a construction project and those are difficult for people, but we're doing the best we can as quickly as we can to make sure that everybody has fresh drinking water," Meah said.
As for Morris' debris-filled water lines, Meah acknowledged a breakdown in the process.
"Sometimes there is sediment and debris that gets into the lines and so we ask customers to flush and we go out with them to give them flushing instructions. Unfortunately one house did not get the proper flushing instructions for whatever reason, but we are working on it and we're going to send a contractor out next week to ensure that their system is completely flushed and that their aerators and faucets are replaced," Meah said.
Woolfork says neighbors are watching closely to make sure the area is fully restored.
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