Mesa flooded with grievances
 |
Adam Klawonn
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 3, 2003 12:00 AM
MESA - A group
of northeast Mesa residents is asking the city for financial relief after
enduring overflowing toilets, "singing" water pipes and flooded homes when a
valve in the Mesa waterworks broke last month.
The episode cranked up water pressure in the Thunder Mountain Estates neighborhood near Hawes and McDowell roads, and in one case, pressure tripled to 158 pounds per square inch, the same level as a working fire hose.
"It covered basically every square inch of the floor of the house," said Stacey Beaty, who filed a $6,600 claim with the city for damage to a winter home bought by his in-laws, who live in St. Johns.
"It's about a 1,300-square-foot home, and it was running out the door."
Scott Shumway, 65, said he had returned home from a two-day hunting trip in Utah and opened his front door to disarm his alarm.
"I was looking at a lake," said the retired Motorola worker. The cost for his repairs: $29,000, excluding personal expenses.
Officials say the broken valve is not related to new water meters in the area or city efforts to increase sagging water pressures in east Mesa by installing booster stations.
There are 26 of these valves controlling waterlines citywide, some of them up to 20 years old, said Bill Haney, the city's assistant utilities manager. The city came to terms this week with Greeley & Hansen, a Phoenix environmental engineering firm, for $4,800 to investigate the cause.
"If this is a problem that will occur elsewhere, we need to be pre-emptive," Haney said.
For now, the going theory is that a half-inch by half-inch pilot valve within the main valve failed.
The manufacturer sets them to fail in the "closed" position normally, shutting off the water. But these valves failed in the "open" position, allowing the Mesa Fire Department to use them in case of emergencies, Haney said.
The result was overflowing toilets at Sandy Carlson's house and elsewhere. Carlson, who is physically disabled, said he spent the entire day tinkering with the toilet, fixing it, then found a different toilet overflowing.
Carmen Pistillo, an engineer, said he came home early to get ready for a Tucson business trip when he found water gushing from under the master bathroom sink.
Residents in eight of the homes affected filed claims with the city around Oct. 6. Those interviewed say the city has not responded.
"We'll honor the claims," Haney said. "I don't see much doubt on that."
The episode cranked up water pressure in the Thunder Mountain Estates neighborhood near Hawes and McDowell roads, and in one case, pressure tripled to 158 pounds per square inch, the same level as a working fire hose.
"It covered basically every square inch of the floor of the house," said Stacey Beaty, who filed a $6,600 claim with the city for damage to a winter home bought by his in-laws, who live in St. Johns.
"It's about a 1,300-square-foot home, and it was running out the door."
Scott Shumway, 65, said he had returned home from a two-day hunting trip in Utah and opened his front door to disarm his alarm.
"I was looking at a lake," said the retired Motorola worker. The cost for his repairs: $29,000, excluding personal expenses.
Officials say the broken valve is not related to new water meters in the area or city efforts to increase sagging water pressures in east Mesa by installing booster stations.
There are 26 of these valves controlling waterlines citywide, some of them up to 20 years old, said Bill Haney, the city's assistant utilities manager. The city came to terms this week with Greeley & Hansen, a Phoenix environmental engineering firm, for $4,800 to investigate the cause.
"If this is a problem that will occur elsewhere, we need to be pre-emptive," Haney said.
For now, the going theory is that a half-inch by half-inch pilot valve within the main valve failed.
The manufacturer sets them to fail in the "closed" position normally, shutting off the water. But these valves failed in the "open" position, allowing the Mesa Fire Department to use them in case of emergencies, Haney said.
The result was overflowing toilets at Sandy Carlson's house and elsewhere. Carlson, who is physically disabled, said he spent the entire day tinkering with the toilet, fixing it, then found a different toilet overflowing.
Carmen Pistillo, an engineer, said he came home early to get ready for a Tucson business trip when he found water gushing from under the master bathroom sink.
Residents in eight of the homes affected filed claims with the city around Oct. 6. Those interviewed say the city has not responded.
"We'll honor the claims," Haney said. "I don't see much doubt on that."
________________________________
Changes to your subscription (unsubs, nomail, digest) can be made by going to http://sandboxmail.net/mailman/listinfo/sndbox_sandboxmail.net
