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DENVER – A family is trying to salvage what they can after their home flooded a second time in three years because of a water main break.
Kristin and Dug Duggan have lived in their home near Yale Avenue and Colorado Boulevard since 2011.
“On April 26, 2015, we had a water main break over on Yale and it flooded our house,” Kristin said. “We were out of our house for four months.”
On Sunday, it happened again to the Duggans.
“Denver Water said we’ll be probably about 50 percent longer out of our house than last time,” Dug said. “I assume they won’t pay for housing or any property that was lost.”
According to the Duggans, their insurance can’t cover flood damage from water main breaks.
The Duggans said when the flood happened in 2015, Denver Water did not pay for their displacement expenses.
Since this has happened a second time, the Duggans want more to be done than last time.
“Denver Water told us ‘you assume risk when you live in a city where there’s water lines,’” Kristin said. “We just want them to do more because this has happened again. Last time it was $40,000 in damage; this time it’s going to be more.”
According to Denver Water, when the flood happened in 2015, it paid about $85,000 in repairs and resotrations. Denver Water also confirmed that $8,000 went to personal items for the family.
However, Denver Water did tell Denver7 that it is working on a way to help the Duggans in their time of need.
While the Duggans salvage what they can, Dug said there was one thing that he was focused on saving – all of his pictures that are laying in his garage while it dries from the flood.
“The most upsetting part was going through all the pictures and pulling them a part,” Dug said. “It’s traumatizing to lose your stuff, but none of that compares to all the memories.”
