'Nightmare': Mt Albert homes inundated after roadworkers strike water main

Two Mt Albert homes have suffered extensive damage after gushing water inundated the properties when contractors struck what is believed to be a water main during roadworks. 

The affected home owners are now demanding compensation for the stress and disruptions of replacing carpet, floors and walls, and pleading with Auckland Transport (AT) and contractor Downer to take responsibility. 

They say they’ve been told it was an “accident” and that their “personal insurance should cover it”. 

AT says its maintenance contractor is responsible for managing the claim and is working with the affected residents’ insurers. 

Downer said it understands the impact on residents and is working with those affected while the matter is assessed. 

A woman in her late 60s was at her Wesley Ave home when the incident unfolded on June 23 and watched helplessly from the second-storey balcony as water rushed into her property. 

Her family believed the flooding was triggered when contractors carrying out pavement work outside the property accidentally struck a water main. 

The water surged into the homes, leaving a path of mud and damage. 

They had since been told their sodden carpet, flooring and walls all need replacing. 

The woman’s daughter said contractors provided “very limited assistance” to stop water entering the property, despite the family asking for additional sandbags to protect their home. 

She said it took about 30 minutes before the water flow stopped. 

Photos and video supplied to the Herald showed water and mud coating the floors and water surging across a driveway towards the homes. 

The daughter said representatives from Downer visited the property several times after the incident and expressed sympathy, but stopped short of accepting responsibility. 

“They’ve said, ‘We didn’t do it on purpose, we wouldn’t wish this upon anyone’. 

“But when we ask, ‘Do you agree you’re liable?’, it’s always, ‘We’ll speak to our legal team’.” 

A contractor watches as water pours from a hole in the ground and gushes into nearby properties. 

The affected home owners say they will have to replace the carpet, floors and walls in the lower levels of their homes. 

The daughter, her partner and her dog had been using the flooded space while their own home underwent renovations. They were now reliant on the generosity of friends because the flooding had made the downstairs room “uninhabitable”. 

Although the family’s home insurance was covering the repairs, the daughter said her mum did not have contents insurance, meaning some losses would not be recoverable. 

She was also concerned about the impact on her mother’s insurance premiums. 

“Although we lodged a claim through our own insurer so restoration work could begin as quickly as possible, the damage was caused by their [Downer’s] actions, so the costs should ultimately be met by their insurer and reimbursed to ours, including the excess that we’ve paid out of pocket. 

“If this doesn’t happen, our insurance premium will increase next year as a result of a claim that wasn’t our fault, which we don’t think is fair.” 

Another property owner said she arrived home after frantic calls from neighbours to find her house soaked with muddy floodwater. She said she was left to deal with the aftermath largely on her own. 

Although her home and contents insurance would pay out, she had lost sentimental artwork from her travels abroad and other irreplaceable personal items in the flood. 

She said contractors had left by the time she arrived home and there was no one to explain what had happened. She had since contacted her insurer and arranged drying contractors. 

A home owner says the flooding was caused by contractors carrying out pavement works outside the properties in Wesley Ave, Mt Albert. 

Her biggest frustration had been the lack of a clear point of contact within Downer, despite the ongoing disruption to residents’ lives. 

While insurance companies were managing repair claims, she said home owners had been left to navigate communication with contractors themselves. 

“We’ve just wasted so much time trying to work out who we contact. 

“I’ve had tradies here every day, I’ve had to take annual leave… It’s just been an absolute nightmare.” 

Water poured into the homes after the incident in June. 

Both home owners said attempts to get answers were slow and disjointed, with emails taking days to be returned. 

A spokeswoman from Downer said it understood the impact the incident had on residents and the company was working through “the appropriate claims and assessment processes”. 

“As the matter is still under review, it would be inappropriate to comment further on questions of responsibility or potential compensation at this stage,” the spokeswoman said. 

“However, we are committed to ensuring the matter is assessed thoroughly and addressed through the appropriate channels. 

“We are in contact with the affected parties and will continue to work closely with them as the process progresses.” 

An AT spokesperson said the matter was escalated internally after a home owner reported flood damage, with the agency referring the claim to its maintenance contractor. 

Under AT’s contracts, contractors were generally responsible for property damage caused during construction works, and the agency would continue monitoring the claim to ensure it was “progressed appropriately”.