Water Metre Install Job Leaves Basement Flooded

It was the last thing Mike Wood expected in the dead of winter.
The basement of Wood’s home in Old Barrhaven flooded after a water metre was replaced Sat., Jan. 21. A high pressure leak coming out of one of the pipes sprayed for hours, leaving his basement covered in water.
Neptune Technology Group installed the water metre. They have been contracted by the City of Ottawa to replace more than 80,000 water metres.
“I went downstairs to get something from the freezer Sunday at about 5 p.m., and I saw that the basement was under water,” he said.
While Wood did not know exactly how long the water was running, he said the water pressure in his house remained normal during the leak. He called the City of Ottawa emergency line.
“The basement had flooded and it took them about an hour to send someone out,” he said. “They said it was a bad install job and there was nothing he could do tonight. I was able to get a plumber to come at around 8 p.m. I shut the water off and we were without water until the next morning.”
Wood said he was concerned about the water coming through the walls and under the floor, and about the possibility of mould.
In a story by CTV Ottawa’s Dave Charbonneau, he quoted a statement sent by Ottawa Deputy City Treasurer Joseph Muhini.
“The City of Ottawa can confirm that Neptune Technology Group is working with the resident in question to rectify the situation. Work conducted by Neptune Technology Group is warrantied. Any issues or damages associated with a meter replacement would be appropriately covered through the Neptune Technology Group.”
Neptune senior project manager of services Will Hutchings was reached for comment by Charbonneau for the same story.
“We are aware of the statement published by the homeowner; however, this matter is currently under investigation and we are not able to comment.”
Wood said it is too early to estimate the damage. He did lose some personal belongings.
“I lost some musical equipment and an amp,” said Wood, a longtime musician. “I work from home, but fortunately my office is not in the basement. We did have some old computers that we were going to donate to charity but that won’t happen now.”
The water was removed and a dehumidifier was used for a couple of days to remove the moisture from the room. The pipe leak has been fixed.
“The city and Neptune fixed the problem, and they were great,” he said. “It took a while to repair it, but Neptune was great to deal with.”
Neptune and the City of Ottawa were not the only people to show up and help Wood.
“On Sunday night, someone pulled up and got out of their vehicle, and then started walking up the driveway,” he said. “He said hi and knew who I was, but I was having a hard time seeing him and recognizing. It was our City Councillor, David Hill.”
Wood had met Hill when he came door knocking during the municipal election campaign.
“He showed up with rubber boots on and he came to help out,” Wood said. “This wasn’t a politician looking for publicity or anything like that. This is a guy with a military background who comes from a culture of helping people out when they are in need. I gained a lot of respect for him that night.”

Featured Image: A pipe leak that went unnoticed for hours after a water metre replacement left Mike Wood with a flooded basement. (Twitter photo/Mike Wood)