Foothill Residents Begin Water Damage Cleanup

(Newswire.net — October 13, 2014) Centerville, Utah — 

A broken water main left at least 4 homes uninhabitable Saturday. Residents in Foothill Utah have begun the water cleanup process. While some residents are starting the process themselves, Tom Ward, deputy director for the city’s Department of Public Utilities said, “Salt Lake City has a no-fault ordinance that allows us to take care of the problem and restore things as best we can. Obviously it’s a mess here now, but we will take care of it.”

Work continued on Sunday by emergency crews to reopen the intersection. Approximately 35 structures, including 1 school and over 2 dozen homes reported some kind of damage related to the broken 48-inch water main. The water main under 1700 South and Foothill Drive released an estimated 2.5 million gallons of water into the surrounding area.

Daryl Olsen from Utah Disaster Specialists said, “A lot of people are doing the water cleanup on their own. Unless you dry the structure, you are only doing half the job. Without proper drying, water damage can lead to mold. Water damage cleanup should be handled by a professional.”

The school will be closed Monday while staff members try to salvage what they can from the water logged school. Electricity was shut off at some of the affected areas to avoid additional problems. The water was reportedly shut off within an hour of the 8:30 pm break on Friday. The pipe continued to drain throughout the night.

The cause of the break remains under investigation.

Any residents who experienced property damage as a result of the water damage and have not been contacted by city officials are encouraged to call Salt Lake City Public Utilities at 801-483-6700. Claim forms can be found online at www.slcgov.com/sites/default/files/documents/attorney/2013/NoticeOfClaimForm.pdf