Faulty water main costing homeowner thousands in repairs

WHITE OAK, Pa. — A White Oak man said a bad water main is costing him thousands of dollars.

A water main break on Coulterville Road in White Oak last Saturday caused Dan Manning's basement to flood.

He said this is the seventh time it's flooded due to a break since 2001.

"They can't do this correctly. I don't know why they can't fix this right,” he said.

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His basement floor has been repeatedly ruined. Paint is chipping off the walls. Sections of drywall have been removed.

“You can smell the mold,” he said. "It never leaves. I'm 100 percent convinced it's why my children have breathing problems."

Coulterville Road is a patchwork of pavement, a sign of all the water main repairs.

There were several breaks from 2007 to 2010, then another one in 2013. The most recent was the break last weekend.

Manning said this time they got lucky because only a few inches of water ended up in his basement, but sometimes he’s seen up to three feet.

"We feel totally powerless over this and it isn't our fault. You would figure after the second or third time they would be able to get this right."

A spokesman with the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County (MAWC) confirmed the break, and said it's working with a restoration company and the homeowner to deal with the damage.

They said they are reviewing the entire waterline on Coulterville Road for potential inclusion in their capital-improvement plan. No timeline for that long-term fix was set.

"That gives me some hope. But seven times? I don't believe it. I believe it's going to happen again within the next year or two,” Manning said.

Cox Media Group