Water main break victims get repayment - CBS4 - WHBF Quad Cities, IL-IA News Weather Sports

Water main break victims get repayment

By: Kate Pabich
kpabich@cbs4qc.com

A house destroying nightmare has finally come to an end for a few Rock Island home owners.

Monday night, the city council upped the amount they're willing to pay for damages caused by a massive water main break.
 
Three homeowners have been fighting for months to get the money they say they deserve.

The water main broke back in December on 36th Street in Rock Island.

Water flushing out of a broken city water main, and into basements.

Water strong enough to collapse Brandon Foley's concrete walls, forcing him to move out.
 
"It's been a rough four months now so yeah I'm glad its over with."

Two weeks ago the city council met and decided to award each of the three homeowners 50% of the damage. But Brandon said that wasn't enough for the total loss of his $80,000 home. He and Lynette , another home owner, kept fighting.
 
"We didn't know what we were going to do it's just been a waiting game basically."

"Nobody is just going to give you money so you have to go fight for what's right and what you know you should be entitled to."

Neither of their insurance companies would cover the damages because the initial incident didn't happen on their property. That's when they say Alderman Murphy really took the reins, she says it was a special circumstance.
 
"It's an unusual event I mean almost all of the water tower emptied into their backyard and then in to their basement so an unusual situation requires unusual solutions."

The council has now approved repayment of up to $160,000 between the three homeowners, who say it looks like a full repayment, and is a huge weight lifted off their backs.
 
It will be up to the city attorney to negotiate how the $160,000 is split.