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Man says sinkhole repairs created water leak, city says leak was there before
BATON ROUGE - A man's sinkhole problems have turned into a water leak problem. Mike Burnett says after the city made repairs to one problem, they created a new one. The city isn't so sure that's the case and have been denying their involvement.
It's why Burnett contacted 2 On Your Side.
"Show me the evidence," Burnett said.
That's all he's asking for. Burnett's evidence is in his front yard - a water leak that the city says is on his side of the meter. The same day a construction crew repaired a sinkhole in front of his house between the sidewalk and the street, Burnett says he and his neighbor noticed the water leak and that it wasn't there before.
Soon after that, Burnett says the crew replaced the sidewalk in front of his house he noticed an increase on his water bill. Since, the crew came back out twice to dig up the area and tell Burnett that the leak is on his side of the meter and his responsibility to fix. Burnett isn't buying that.
The City-Parish called Brittany Weiss to say the water leak was there before the crew repaired the sinkhole. Burnett wants to see the proof.
"I don't see how they can prove that it was there when there was no leak on the surface of the ground," he said.
The whole ordeal has him quite upset. The sinkhole and now a leak that's gone unrepaired for months.
"This makes me angry, it really does," Burnett said.
He wants the people he believes responsible to fix his broken water line, so far they have refused.
"If they don't have scientific documented proof that it was there then I just want them to fix it," he said.
Burnett contacted the Parish Attorney's office and has filed a claim through the parish adjuster.