Water-main breaks plague north Edmonton home
People are being urged to conserve water in Edmonton right now, but a north-side resident says he has more than his property can handle.
A recurring water-main break has flooded the yard, garage and basement of Chris Cherneske's home multiple times.
"It actually filled my garage with about eight inches of mud and water," Cherneske told CTV News Edmonton on Thursday about the latest break that has flooded his Kensington property.
He now wonders if he'll be soaked for damages if it happens again.
The problem with the Epcor water main near his house has caused three floods over the last three years, the biggest one occurring two years ago and causing $70,000 to $80,000 in damage.
Cherneske says he's worried his insurance company will discontinue his coverage if it keeps happening.
He said their advice to him is to find a way to keep the water out.
"I’ve been told to sandbag my property and protect my house from water," Cherneske said.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada says if Cherneske's property keeps flooding, he could be on his own, a spokesperson told CTV News Edmonton in part.
"Insurance covers sudden and unexpected events," the insurance bureau said in a statement to CTV News Edmonton.
"In this situation, where water has repeatedly entered the home, this would not be considered sudden and/or unexpected. Therefore, coverage would likely not apply until the water main is fixed."
Epcor tells CTV News Edmonton it recognizes the continual breaks are an issue and that sections of the water main have been identified for "priority placement," but that any work will have to wait for the spring thaw.
"We understand this resident’s frustration and can confirm there have been multiple main break repairs at this location," Epcor said in a statement to CTV News Edmonton.
"The water main north of 133 Avenue and east of 118 Street was installed in 1962 and is made of cast iron, which breaks more frequently than other materials due to different factors like the freeze/thaw cycle, ground disturbance, settlement and soil conditions."
Cherneske says he wants Epcor to fix the water main for good.
"They just continually put little patches and not do anything about it really," he said. "It is pretty disappointing."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Judge in Trump's hush money trial threatened to throw witness out of court for behavior on stand
Michael Cohen testified Monday that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from his ex-boss Donald Trump’s company, an admission defence lawyers hope to use to undermine Cohen’s credibility.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Oilers win Game 7 over Canucks, advance to Western Conference Final
The Edmonton Oilers weathered a late Vancouver Canucks charge on Monday night, beating the hosts 3-2 to win their seven-game second-round playoff series in the decisive showdown.
McGill says pro-Palestinian protest outside senior administrator's home 'crosses the line'
McGill University has denounced a pro-Palestinian protest held Sunday outside the home of one of its senior administrators.
Red Lobster probes 'endless shrimp' losses after bankruptcy filing
U.S.-based restaurant chain Red Lobster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Florida court after securing $100 million in financing commitments from its existing lenders, the company said on Sunday.
Katy Perry sings goodbye to 'American Idol'
Katy Perry said her goodbyes on 'American Idol' after seven seasons. On Sunday night’s live 'idol' season finale, a medley of Perry's hit songs were performed, including 'Teenage Dream,' 'Dark Horse' and 'California Gurls.'
Microsoft's AI chatbot will 'recall' everything you do on a PC
Microsoft wants laptop users to get so comfortable with its artificial intelligence chatbot that it will remember everything you're doing on your computer and help figure out what you want to do next.
Judge cites error, will reopen sentencing hearing for man who attacked Nancy Pelosi's husband
A federal judge will reopen the sentencing hearing for the man who broke into Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home and bludgeoned her husband with a hammer after the judge failed to allow him to speak during his court appearance last week.