By Ashley Wiebe

Redcliff resident on the hook for costly repairs

Feb 14, 2017 | 4:14 PM

REDCLIFF, AB — A Redcliff senior is facing a hefty bill for repairs after a broken water main across from her home caused flooding in her house.

Joy Harper, 78, has owned her house in Redcliff for the past nine years. Every year she finds a new project to work on.

“When I bought this house, it looked like a little Irish cottage to me and so I tried to make it quite rustic out in front,” she said.

This year Harper was planning on insulating her basement. But she never thought she’d use the money she saved to pay for repairs to a pipe in her front yard.

Young minds, big ideas: Elementary students learn about urban planning with 'Box City'

6h ago

HERE'S WHAT TO KNOW

Summer pool hours extended and discounts applied as Big Marble Go Centre upgrades start

Apr 18, 2024

Medicine Hat company drawing in clients with witty signage

Apr 16, 2024

Harper said a water main across the street from her home broke back in November and has caused nothing but problems inside her Redcliff home.

“I started getting, what looked like bits of peat moss in the toilet,” she said.

That wasn’t the only issue. The pressure hasn’t been the same since the fix.

Harper said last week the water was only dribbling out of the taps.

When someone from the town came to find out where the problem was, they pointed to the pipes in her basement.

“I got a hold of a contractor, he came out the next morning,” Harper said. “He was going to take the joints apart and clean it or put in new ones and the basement was flooding.”

A pipe outside her home had crumbled away.

Water had been seeping into the dirt floors and flooded the front sidewalk outside.

Harper said there was nothing she could do.

“I called my insurance, I called the town, I called senior benefits,” she said. “Nobody could help. They said ‘that’s your problem’, the town said ‘that it’s your problem’, ‘if it’s between the valve and your house, their shut off valve and your house, it’s your responsibility’.”

Arlos Crofts with the Town of Redcliff declined an interview. Instead he sent the town policy on Water and Sanitary Sewer Line Maintenance which states:

“If the cause for repair is found to be on the maintenance or portion of service line within the Town’s control, the costs for repairs shall be borne by the Town of Redcliff.

If the cause for repair is found to be on the portion of service line on private property, the costs for repairs shall be borne by the property owner.”

“All the lines from the house outwards is their lines and it should be their responsibility. That’s how I think,” Harper said.

Harper believes the work crews did on the line put pressure on the pipe leading to her house, causing it to burst.

She’s now left with a $5,000 bill, a harsh reminder of the costs that come with owning a home.