Helping a crew remove his water-damaged belongings from his 89-year-old mother’s home was not how Guy Foster, discharged from the Navy in 1969, had planned on spending his Veterans Day. The home of Foster’s mother was among the 14 on South Jordan Street damaged by extensive flooding last Thursday, Nov 6, when a main water line managed by Virginia American Water had burst.
But it wasn’t water from the burst line that residents were walking in that morning; the burst damaged a nearby manhole, and water from that line overflowed into the sewer system. Residents woke up to eight inches of sewer water flooding the lower levels of their homes.
Carolyn Brown, a resident of the neighborhood for 36 years, said that her husband had spent the morning of Nov 6 downstairs trying to find the source of the water, thinking one of the children might have left a faucet on. He was wandering through the basement, barefoot, when he realized in horror it was coming from the drain outside.
“He was trying to bale the water out of their house, and I just wanted him to get out of the sewer water,” she said.
Brown and other residents said initial reports indicated that the water was from the burst pipeline and it wasn’t until later that they were told the water could be hazardous.
“We’re getting conflicting information; it’s a Catch-22,” said Brown. “You don’t know who is right and who is wrong.”
According to Craig Fifer, the City of Alexandria’s director of communications and public information, the communications problem stemmed from the complicated domino effect that led to the flooding. While the sewage flooded the homes, the cause of the flood was the break of the Virginia American Water line. The responsibility for the cleanup was with the Virginia American Water Company. Additionally, Fifer says representatives from the City of Alexandria were on the scene to see that the infrastructure of the cleanup was properly handled.
“We are happy for folks to call the city,” said Fifer, “we don’t want it to seem as though we are just referring all of the questions to Virginia American Water, but our role is to operate the public infrastructure and that was not really at issue in this particular situation.”
Samantha Villegas, a representative of Virginia American Water, said the cast iron water line was likely installed in the 1950s. This particular segment was scheduled to be replaced in 2015, but following this incident the company is trying to move it as high up on their replacement list as possible.
“Pipes were on the list to replace in 2015,” said Foster, “but the problem is happening right now, in 2014.”
While residents are skeptical, Virginia American Water has pledged to make things right with the community.
“We are covering all damages that may have been caused,” said Villegas “We had a crew member on site who booked hotel rooms for about 20 people that day through Tuesday. Some are booked through the end of the week.”
However, Brown says that offer did not extend to all of the affected residents.
“They did offer hotels, but only for those who were sleeping on the lower levels of these homes,” said Brown. For other residents living in their sewage-flooded homes, Brown said the advice from Virginia American Water was to keep the basement door closed.
Fifer said there was no specific health advice from the city for this situation, but that anyone who was exposed to sewer materials should wash immediately.
“The bottom line is: we suggest residents avoid exposure to sewage,” said Fifer. “Any part of their home that is exposed to sewage should be cleaned appropriately.”
Contractors hired by Virginia American Water’s insurance company, Travelers Insurance, filled the street to do exactly that. White-uniformed staff from SERVPRO, a water and fire cleanup company, carried water-damaged drywall away from the affected homes. But even with dehumidifiers running for days, the stench of the open sewer that filled Brown’s basement was still overpowering.
Brown’s backyard was filled with furniture and soggy boxes of household goods. She pointed out her rugs and her brand new sofa in the pile, but said it was some of the smaller things items
“Mementos, souvenirs … I was keeping that calendar of the World Trade Center,” said Brown. “Some of that stuff can’t be replaced.”
Foster pointed to the wood paneling stacked outside his mother’s home, panels that had once formed the walls of the basement, all of which had been ripped out to get to the water-damaged drywall behind them. The utilities and furnishings in his mother’s home had all been removed; there was nothing left to indicate the room’s original purposes.
“This was a laundry room, this was a bathroom, this was a closet, this was a storage room,” said Foster. “Now it’s all in shambles.”
At one point, the basement had flooded to eight inches of sewer water. He read from a letter distributed by Virginia American Water’s contractors: “The water is grossly contaminated; may contain pathogenic, toxogenic, and other harmful agents.”
Brown and Foster lamented that Mayor Bill Euille and other members of city government did not visit the site or answer inquiries.
“The workers have on hazmat suits, why don’t we?” said Brown. “We’re sheep out in the wilderness with no protection.”