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Supreme Restoration Services workers clean up Susie Clark’s house after having severe water damage on Aug. 27, 2024, in Hurst. (Camilo Diaz | Fort Worth Report)
” data-medium-file=”https://fortworthreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Hurst-water_Aug27-_CamiloDiaz-01-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://fortworthreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Hurst-water_Aug27-_CamiloDiaz-01-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button”>Susie Clark said her home on Trinity Vista Trail looks like it was struck by a tornado and a hurricane.The structure’s interior was still in shambles Tuesday, the day after a contractor mistakenly drilled into a 33-inch city of Fort Worth main water line, spewing a torrent of high-pressure water onto Clark’s home and four others off Trinity Boulevard on the city’s northeast side. Clark’s home in the Lakes of River Trails North subdivision sustained major damage, with visible holes in the roof and parts of the ceiling collapsed after gallons of water inundated the roof. There is a 2-foot water line on the walls, marking how high the water rose inside the house. Pieces of insulation and sheetrock, mixed with mud, formed a sort of boggy stew that coated walls, floors, furniture and other household items. The smell of mildew was strong.“I’m trying to deal with this,” Clark said. “I’m doing the best I can.”She said she had talked with Allstate Insurance about her policy, which will cover the cleanup costs, initially estimated in the thousands of dollars.For homeowners, recording evidence of the damage is one of the first actions to take in the insurance process.Every room at Susie Clark’s home has severe water damage due to a water pipe bursting in northeast Fort Worth. (Camilo Diaz | Fort Worth Report) “The first step should be documenting all damage through photos and video,” said Richard Johnson, director of communications and public affairs for the Insurance Council of Texas, a nonprofit trade association that promotes the state’s property and casualty insurance industry. “Then, file a claim with your insurance company and provide all documentation. This is the fastest way to get repairs made and mitigate any further damage.”Homeowners should then file a claim through the city to document the damage, Johnson said. “Typically, the homeowner’s insurance company will cover the damages and get the work started, then work through the subrogation process and collect the money from the responsible party,” Johnson said. Clark, a transportation company driver, said her home of 23 years will be unlivable for months because of the damage. She spent the night in a motel, but was searching for a short-term housing solution on Tuesday. Along with that stress, she was also worried about the safety of her two cats, both of whom were traumatized by the water break, she said. One had run off and the other remained missing.Restoration workers, masked and clad in disposable environmental suits, roamed through Clark’s home on Tuesday, picking up pieces of debris and cleaning each surface. They used photos and videos to record the damage.Kenny Rendon of Frisco-based Supreme Restoration Services was working on two of the affected homes. He estimated that the work to repair and replace most items would easily exceed $100,000 for each house.The company handles cleanup from water, fire, smoke and mold damage as well as natural disasters.“You can’t live in a house with this type of damage,” he said. “You’ll get sick.”City water department spokesperson Mary Gugliuzza said water from the damaged pipeline went airborne because of the high pressure.Water department workers spent more than an hour Monday trying to shut off the flow of water, a situation complicated by the pipe’s size and configuration. Water to about 20 homes was shut off, but restored by Tuesday morning after the city put in a replacement pipe, Gugliuzza said.Fort Worth Mayor Pro Tempore Gyna Bivens, the area’s City Council representative, identified the telecommunications contractor to neighborhood association representatives, Clark said.Gugliuzza said the city “will be pursuing reimbursement” from the contractor.The site of where the water pipe burst as seen from Trinity Boulevard on Aug. 27, 2024, in northeast Fort Worth. (Camilo Diaz | Fort Worth Report)Representatives of the Mansfield drilling company, Haros Bros. Co., did not immediately return a phone call from the Fort Worth Report. The company’s website said the firm is family-owned, has over 100 skilled associates and has been in operation since 1989. Company management has “vast experience” with consulting, planning, coordinating and safety regulations, according to its website.Gugliuzza said the contractor asked city surveyors to identify pipelines and underground infrastructure earlier this month, but the city told the contractor to delay any work. The city had no further communication with the company, she said.In a statement to WFAA-TV, AT&T said it was working with all parties as the incident is investigated.“In this case, as soon as our contractor was aware of any damage, the local utility provider was notified to make repairs to the water main as quickly as possible,” the company said in its statement. “We have been in contact with city officials and are working with all parties as the cause of the damages is investigated.Hermalinda Pacheco said her parents, who live next door to Clark, were struggling to find short-term housing since their home also faced months of repair work to fix the water damage. Vehicles used in a landscape business were also damaged, she said.“It’s bad,” she said. “They just paid off the house. Now we’re trying to figure out what to do next.”Susie Clark’s home pictured on Aug. 27, 2024, in northeast Fort Worth. Clark’s home was one of five homes to be damaged from a water pipe bursting behind her house. The bricks shown were scattered along the yard from the water pressure destroying a flower bed. (Camilo Diaz | Fort Worth Report)Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.