Fridley water main break costs homeowner more than $100K

FRIDLEY, Minn. — Water shooting straight out of her toilet — it happened to Julie McNamara in April at her Fridley home.

"It was an explosion of water. It was a volcano, like a geyser," said McNamara.

McNamara said she was having work done to clear the sewer drain of her Fridley home back in April when the person doing the work became frantic.

"All of a sudden he's just running upstairs yelling, 'Call the city, call the city,'" she said.

A Fridley city water main break had flooded her home.

"So much pressure, it blew the washtubs off the wall in the laundry area," said McNamara.

Priceless items like children's photos and wedding albums are now gone. In total, McNamara estimates more than $100,000 worth of damages, and to make matters worse, she said her homeowner's policy was only worth $5,000.

What she didn't lose were Willow and Shadow, her two dogs. She and her family were home to take them upstairs.

"They would have drowned," McNamara said.

A letter from the League of Minnesota Cities written to McNamara states that the City of Fridley was not negligent in regard to the damage to her home and that the city won't be responsible for paying damages.

The letter notes that the City of Fridley entered into a contract with Northwest Asphalt to construct the water main. It went on to suggest McNamara pursue a claim against the contractor, not the city.

"Why are they turning me over to them? Why isn't the city suing the contractor that they hired to put it in?" said McNamara.

In an email, a spokesperson with Northwest Asphalt said their insurance company is investigating the claim.

McNamara is now urging caution to others.

"I would say to the public check your homeowner's policy because if this happens to you, this is horrible," said McNamara.