TEMPE, AZ — A water main break in August left a Tempe family with a muddy mess, destroyed property, and nowhere to stay. We're checking back in with them to see what has happened since then.
Shortly after the incident, Neil Sundberg told ABC15 that he was looking for another place to stay while crews worked on his home. It's a home that he shared with his wife and Arizona State University students who rented space.
His home was among several that were damaged during the water main break.
The City of Tempe said it would foot the bill entirely after the “natural break” in aging pipes that caused the water main break.
ABC15's Christine Stanwood caught up with Sundberg months after the damage was done throughout his home. He gave us a tour inside and shared a warning to others that these disasters could happen to anyone.
Watch the update in the video player above.
The City of Tempe released a full statement about the process and where the repairs stand:
"Since the break occurred, Tempe has worked closely with the homeowners on remediation and restoration for these properties. It is important to note that Tempe is working directly with contractors to finance home restoration, so homeowners do not pay for any repairs out of pocket.
"Two of the three properties have been fully remediated and restored, all expenses paid by the city. The third property, which incurred the most damage, is still being repaired. Last year, Tempe assisted these residents in packing up their belongings and fronting the cost of temporary housing and food. Tempe continues to pay the occupants for temporary lodging and food while repair efforts are underway. Tempe is making every effort to alleviate impacts to these residents and working quickly to get them back into their home. We thank all impacted community members for their cooperation and patience.
"The break was determined to be a natural water break. Natural breaks can happen for a variety of reasons including temperature changes, age or condition of the pipe. While natural breaks occur from time to time, Tempe works to mitigate them by using a systematic approach to replace water mains by evaluating the age, material and break history. The data is used to determine a replacement schedule for over 860 miles of waterlines that Tempe maintains."
