‘This is a recurring issue’: Shaler Township homeowner frustrated over repeat water main breaks

SHALER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Homeowners on Greenhill Road in Shaler Township told Channel 11 News they are frustrated after yet another water line break sent water gushing into their homes on Monday night.

Drew MacIntyre who lives on Greenhill Road woke up to water gushing into his garage, and overflowing into his finished basement.

“I wake up to water just rushing into my house from a water main break,” he said.

According to the Hampton Shaler Water Authority, a line on Greenhill Road burst just before 11 p.m. on Monday. The authority confirmed that crews worked through the night to repair and replace the foot-long portion of the line and restored water to customers around 3:30 a.m.

Unfortunately for MacIntyre, by then many of his personal belongings were destroyed, along with major appliances like his washer and dryer. On Tuesday morning when Channel 11 crews returned, he told us this wasn’t the first time a water line break flooded his home.

“They know about these pipes, this is a recurring issue,” he said.

MacIntyre showed us pictures from 2022 when six to eight inches of water flooded his basement. He said back then he tried to file a claim with his homeowner’s insurance, but they rejected it. He then filed a claim with the Hampton-Shaler Water Authority and said he never heard back.

“I called them earlier, and I left a message, but they haven’t returned my calls,” he said.

So, we went to the water authority and asked what customers were supposed to do when this happened. They told us that they provide a clean-up service free of charge, and then instructed homeowners to file a claim that would be reviewed, and if the water authority is found liable the claim will go through their insurance.

According to the Pennsylvania Tort Claims Act (PTCA), the government is liable for negligence in certain circumstances, like how a private person would be held liable. However, there are exceptions.

“I am a young proud homeowner. I work hard for what I have just like everybody else, it sucks,” MacIntyre said.

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