DETROIT – Residents in one neighborhood on Detroit’s west side said a river has been running down their street for more than a week.
They said the water wasn’t caused by recent rain, but instead caused by a man with a backhoe who punctured a pipe. The issue has been happening on American Street near Joy Road and Livernois Avenue.
When the water started flowing from the front yard of a home on American Street a Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) crew came out and put down barriers and put up tape.
“They covered the hole up and that was it,” resident James Berger said.
DWSD didn’t cause the issue, according to residents. They said the new homeowner cause the issue when a crew they brought in was using a bulldozer and a backhoe.
Berger said it was a circus. He said the homeowner told a man on the backhoe to dig deep and turn the water onto the home he’s rehabbing. The water line was struck and the homeowner hasn’t returned since.
DWSD has not been able to shut off the water. The issue has been assigned to a contractor as DWSD works on flood response.
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