[Lincolnparkdc] lincolnparkdc Digest, Vol 67, Issue 33

barbara larkin blarkindc at hotmail.com
Tue Apr 30 13:47:28 EDT 2024 

Re: Mess made by DC Water

I am so sorry this happened to you. I had a similar experience several years ago. A large pipe that fed 5 houses burst in my front yard causing a geyser that spilled into the street. It took 3 days to get anyone to even come and repair it. 

DC Water promised to repair the damage, and eventually (after several calls) sent a contractor to repair the yard. I don’t remember their name but it had “Concrete & Paving” in it, which was clearly their expertise. 

It was a disaster, similar to yours - beautiful established perennials were destroyed, tree damage etc. After numerous calls I just gave up and hired someone to dig up the substandard (I am being kind) soil and replace it and do their best with the tree - a dogwood that did recover. Then that fall and the next spring I  began adding back plants. Huge expense, which I was never compensated for. 

The only suggestion I can make is to contact your ANC Commissioner and your City Council Member’s office. I did not know to do this when I had my water problems, but have since on other issues and found both to be very helpful in contacting the right people, cutting through red tape, etc. 


> On Apr 30, 2024, at 12:00 PM, lincolnparkdc-request at lincolnparkdc.info wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
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>   1. Need help fixing huge mess DC Water left us with (Roxanne Walker)
>   2. Re: Need help fixing huge mess DC Water left us with (Diana Quinn)
> 
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2024 17:39:27 -0400
> From: Roxanne Walker <rw99dc at gmail.com>
> To: lincolnparkdc at lincolnparkdc.info
> Subject: [Lincolnparkdc] Need help fixing huge mess DC Water left us
>    with
> Message-ID:
>    <CAHcpisCwYuqEhzw71MO_LmT4fSCbj4Jf-++2ws4DJ7MMqZRVgw at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
> 
> Hi neighbors-
> 
> We have an issue dating back to when DC Water was replacing lead pipes in
> the area with copper. After telling us they would only be digging a few
> inches away from the existing meter, t*hey dug a pit approximately 4x3x4
> feet. *This is half of our very small front garden. We lost many
> perennial plantings, most of which were 10-15 years old (hostas, lenten
> roses, anemones, ground cover, etc.).
> 
> The hole was dug and work was completed on the day of the bomb cyclone --
> December 23, 2022. When we went to replant the perennials in the spring of
> 2023 we found (to our horror) that our 2-3 feet of improved soil and the
> clay that was below that had been taken away and *the hole was filled to
> the top with a concrete slurry mixture and gravel.*
> 
> We contacted the contractor who sent a crew back to "fix" the issue. They
> scraped about six inches off the surface and filled it with what looked
> like concrete dust. One of the guys who came told me they use that material
> "so the hole settles evenly". When I pointed out that they had also taken
> out all the roots on one side of our 30-35 year old dogwood, and the tree
> could not grow into the concrete he said "they wouldn't have done that". We
> could not get them to return to excavate the hole and replace it with
> actual soil or even respond to further requests for help.
> 
> A year and a half later, our poor dogwood appears to be dying and the pit
> remains filled with their junk. We have tried digging out the concrete
> gravel but realized after we filled one 5-gallon bucket we didn't know how
> to dispose of it. We got an estimate of $1,300 to dig out the pit and haul
> away the fill. That did not include filling the hole with soil. We can't
> afford that.
> 
> If you've read this far, thanks, and here are our questions:
> 
>   - Does anyone know of a process for DC Water or the city to get this
>   mess resolved?
>   - Can we get damages for the lost plants, our lost 48 cubic feet of
>   soil, the disposal of the fill, and, possibly, our dying dogwood tree? How?
>   - How do homeowners get rid of 48 cubic feet of gravel/concrete?
> 
> We just want to enjoy our little garden again.
> 
> Thanks for any suggestions.
> Roxanne, 14th and Mass SE
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> Message: 2
> Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2024 21:55:24 -0400
> From: Diana Quinn <diana at muddypaws.com>
> To: lincolnparkdc at lincolnparkdc.info
> Subject: Re: [Lincolnparkdc] Need help fixing huge mess DC Water left
>    us with
> Message-ID:
>    <CAPRaeoPZMu1jbjF0VtP1164ZCOTd-35fHP8AWqnu1RPCJc0Teg at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
> 
> Roxanne - I am SO sorry that this happened to you. I had my pipes replaced
> ? last year , but they refilled the holes with dirt! And my hostas all grew
> back (well, mostly).  What a shame for you, especially your lovely dogwood.
> You might talk to a lawyer.
> 
>> On Mon, Apr 29, 2024 at 5:40?PM Roxanne Walker <rw99dc at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi neighbors-
>> 
>> We have an issue dating back to when DC Water was replacing lead pipes in
>> the area with copper. After telling us they would only be digging a few
>> inches away from the existing meter, t*hey dug a pit approximately 4x3x4
>> feet. *This is half of our very small front garden. We lost many
>> perennial plantings, most of which were 10-15 years old (hostas, lenten
>> roses, anemones, ground cover, etc.).
>> 
>> The hole was dug and work was completed on the day of the bomb cyclone --
>> December 23, 2022. When we went to replant the perennials in the spring of
>> 2023 we found (to our horror) that our 2-3 feet of improved soil and the
>> clay that was below that had been taken away and *the hole was filled to
>> the top with a concrete slurry mixture and gravel.*
>> 
>> We contacted the contractor who sent a crew back to "fix" the issue. They
>> scraped about six inches off the surface and filled it with what looked
>> like concrete dust. One of the guys who came told me they use that material
>> "so the hole settles evenly". When I pointed out that they had also taken
>> out all the roots on one side of our 30-35 year old dogwood, and the tree
>> could not grow into the concrete he said "they wouldn't have done that". We
>> could not get them to return to excavate the hole and replace it with
>> actual soil or even respond to further requests for help.
>> 
>> A year and a half later, our poor dogwood appears to be dying and the pit
>> remains filled with their junk. We have tried digging out the concrete
>> gravel but realized after we filled one 5-gallon bucket we didn't know how
>> to dispose of it. We got an estimate of $1,300 to dig out the pit and haul
>> away the fill. That did not include filling the hole with soil. We can't
>> afford that.
>> 
>> If you've read this far, thanks, and here are our questions:
>> 
>>   - Does anyone know of a process for DC Water or the city to get this
>>   mess resolved?
>>   - Can we get damages for the lost plants, our lost 48 cubic feet of
>>   soil, the disposal of the fill, and, possibly, our dying dogwood tree? How?
>>   - How do homeowners get rid of 48 cubic feet of gravel/concrete?
>> 
>> We just want to enjoy our little garden again.
>> 
>> Thanks for any suggestions.
>> Roxanne, 14th and Mass SE
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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