Denver water main break displaces cancer patient’s family from home

Shaul Turner
·2 min read
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DENVER (KDVR) — A mother of four battling cancer is horrified with having to find a place to live after a massive water main break flooded her Denver home.

“It’s like living on the street like the rest of our homeless population,” Corrina Gonzalez told FOX31.

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An investigation shows Denver Water is not to blame for the break. The metro area has more than 3,000 miles of pipe buried underneath the road, which is enough to stretch from Seattle to Orlando. Water mains can be affected by changes in weather and wear and tear.

Gonzalez’s home was flooded on March 6 after the broken main sent waves cascading down her street and into her yard and home. The accident left several inches of mud and debris behind.

The FOX31 Problem Solvers captured video of the damage, which left the home filled with an unpleasant odor. Gonzalez said the conditions are unsafe for her family.

“I’ve had nonstop migraines. My daughter started bleeding from her nose, so we tried to just stay out of the house,” Gonzalez said.

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While Denver Water did not cause the break, its No-fault Main Break Assistance Program provided a helping hand to the family.

Denver Water issued the following statement to FOX31: “We empathize with the family impacted by this main break and have worked closely with them throughout this process to help in every way possible. We provided hotel accommodations, restoration services, asbestos mitigation on the damaged areas with pre-existing asbestos in the home, and more. In total, we’ve provided nearly $50,000 so far in services and direct payments. We also have not issued a final reimbursement payment yet, as that is still being calculated.”

Many homeowners insurance policies do not cover losses. Even with assistance from Denver Water, the Gonzalez family cannot afford to afford to move into a hotel or apartment or recover clothing, furniture and other necessary items because of the length of time that the home remains uninhabitable.

A GoFundMe is set up to help the family.

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