The last bit of water is being sucked up by workers at the Kendall home on Strathmore Road after a water main broke Thursday, flooding their basement.
“It was so deep it was flowing through our garage and out our back door,” said Langford homeowner Gayle Kendall.
Several homes on the street were impacted and seeing the damage it caused would be hard on anyone. But for the Kendall’s it’s especially difficult.
“We don’t want to be here. It’s just too emotional for us,” said Gayle.
In February, a water main broke on Goldstream Avenue, turning the street into a river that flowed right into their home. Todd Kendall spoke to CHEK News back then after his home flooded the first time.
“My basement is underwater the heat pump is underwater back yard is flooded,” said Todd.
After four months, the repairs on their home had finally been finished.
“All of this had been redone. We had brand new carpets, brand new drywall everywhere, baseboards, doors,” said Gayle.
Only to get ripped out again.
“Its awful cause its happened again and I just can’t believe it,” said their daughter Abby Gravelle.
And Gayle says this time, someone else needs to pay for the damage.
“We aren’t going through insurance somebody has to be held accountable for this,” said Gayle.
Contractors brought in by the City of Langford were working to upgrade the storm drains in the area near a Capital Regional District (CRD) water main.
But the City of Langford says it wasn’t their fault. In an emailed statement, they tell CHEK News workers called “call before you dig” to find where all the utilities were located, followed all the right protocols and were digging the necessary distance away from the pipe and didn’t touch it. They say it’s up to the CRD to figure out why it burst.
The CRD says this latest burst water main was due to unforeseen circumstances.
“Although Langford’s contractor was working at an appropriate distance away from the pipe, unfortunately, the subgrade material below the road and around the pipe sloughed into the open excavation, leaving the pipe unsupported and causing it to fail. Langford and the CRD staff are going to review the project file next week,” read the statement by Ted Robbins, general manager of integrated water services.
Unfortunately, for the Kendalls, a recommendation by the Juan De Fuca Water Distribution Commission that passed quietly July 2 directs staff “not to further examine options to provide financial assistance for property damage resulting from a failure, breakdown or malfunction” of a water main.
So they will have to go through insurance and the $2,500 dollar deductible will have to come out of their pocket again.
Luisa Alvarez
