Mold Remediation in Gilbert, AZ

The Town of Gilbert approved the project. The family is now fighting multiple construction companies and the Town of Gilbert to get help covering the damages.

GILBERT, Ariz. — A Gilbert family is recovering after their home was flooded with sewage. It happened on Oct. 29 and the family is still displaced.

Nicole Flood, who recognized the irony of her last name, said it happened when crews were installing fiber in her neighborhood and punctured their pipe.

Flood noticed markings on the street in her neighborhood near Ray Road and Power Road on Oct. 28. It meant construction for fiber optic network materials was headed her way.

The fiber plan was approved and permitted by the Town of Gilbert in an effort to deliver residents high-speed internet. Records show the company working with Gilbert is called Gigapower, an AT&T venture.

Soon enough, workers had dug holes in her and her neighbor's front yards and driveways.

Signage in Flood's neighborhood shows a company called Tilson was conducting the construction work on Gigapower's behalf.

Around 6 p.m. on Oct. 29, chaos ensued.

“[My husband] came home from work and flushed the toilet and it just exploded," Flood said. "He's trying to shut off the water. We had to Shop-Vac four entire Shop-Vacs full of sewage out. It was coming out faster than we could even get it. It got to about three inches.”

Flood and her husband quickly called out a plumber who placed a camera into their pipe. Records show the plumber found that the sewage line had been drilled through, which caused the line to break.

“It's one thing if you think it's your own family. It's still not fun to get an undone toilet, but then to know that you're in somebody else's waste and sewage," Flood said. "I was covered head to toe.”

They got an emergency hotel room and came back the next day to speak to construction crews. They recorded their interactions.

A Tilson employee told them they had hired a subcontractor to do the work. That subcontractor told them they had also brought in another company, claiming it was employees from that company who caused the damage.

“That’s the person who will pay the bill," an employee said. "This is not the homeowner’s problem so let’s get this clear.”

Weeks after the mess, the flood has become Flood's problem.

She is a teacher and has had to miss work. She has also paid more than $8,000 out of her own pocket to repair the pipe and is still not back inside of her home.

Her husband and son have medical needs, making this stage of limbo even more challenging to navigate.

Much of the first floor of their home now has the flooring and walls torn out because it was contaminated with waste. Fans are still scattered throughout the home in an effort to dry it out.

“I'm really hoping that Gilbert and Tilson do the right thing," Flood said.

When asked for comment, a Tilson spokesperson declined to answer specific questions about Flood's home.

In an emailed statement, a spokesperson said:

"At Tilson, we work directly with homeowners whenever there is a potential damage claim related to our construction activities. Once we are notified of a possible issue, we prioritize investigating the situation to address and resolve any concerns as quickly as possible, ensuring any necessary repairs are completed in a timely and effective manner."

The Town of Gilbert denied responsibility altogether.

Jennifer Harrison, a spokesperson for the town, said Tilson does not have a license with Gilbert. Gigapower does.

"Tilson does not have a license with the Town of Gilbert for this work. Instead, Tilson is a contractor to a utility provider who is licensed by the Town. Permits issued to Tilson to conduct work as the contractor for Gigapower. Under state law, the utility has the legal right to do work in the right of way," Harrison said.

Harrison said this is a civil matter between the private utility, its contractor and the resident.

When 12News asked if the town bears any responsibility for damage done during town-approved projects, Harrison said, "No, this is not a town project."

“They were the ones that gave them a permit to be working here," Flood said.

As Flood waits for answers, she and her family are staying in an Airbnb. Her homeowner's insurance agreed to cover one month of accommodations. She is struggling to get insurance to cover anything else.

She hopes the town and the companies involved in the construction make things right.

“Help. Please. I mean, not even a sorry, but cover the finances of it," Flood said.

>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.

GILBERT, AZ (AZFamily) — A Gilbert family is dealing with a smelly situation, after raw sewage flooded their home; they’re also fighting to get the construction crew responsible for the mess to be held accountable.

Jeremy Flessner and Nicole Flood say damage was done to their Gilbert home after workers punctured a sewer line in front of their house, sending raw sewage everywhere.

“It destroyed a dining room, a bathroom, a closet, a hallway, and the foyer,” said Flood. “We had sewage coming out the front door, we had sewage coming out of our stucco wall.”

The fecal nightmare took place a couple days before Halloween, causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage, while forcing the family to stay at an Airbnb.

So what exactly happened?

The couple claims workers installing a fiber-optic network in their neighborhood off Recker Road and Ray Road, accidentally busted their sewer line, and they say what’s made things worse is that no one jumped in to take responsibility for it.

“I think they probably kept us somewhat confused about who is responsible for it,” said Flessner. “My wife is a teacher and I work full time too, and she had to take entire week off while she is gathering info and calling phone numbers and getting dead ends.”

Arizona’s Family has learned that the town of Gilbert has a contract with the utility provider GigaPower, which has subcontracted work to a company called Tilson, which appears to have subcontracted work to a company called Regon.

Flessner and Flood said its been three weeks since their disaster and no one has made it clear who is responsible for all the damage and paying them back for the nearly $10,000 they have already spent on a plumber to fix the damaged pipe.

“We didn’t do this,” said Flood. “We didn’t hire these contractors. This was done without our consent.”

Tilson released this statement:

“Tilson has made significant progress in addressing repairs to the affected residence and is actively working with the homeowners, the Town of Gilbert, and their insurance provider to resolve any further necessary remediation. Gigapower’s main focus is ensuring the proper steps are taken to support the family and help them return to their home as quickly and safely as possible.”

The town of Gilbert released these statements and responses to Arizona’s Family

On 11/6 Town staff spoke with the homeowner regarding their frustrations with repairs, insurance and Tilson’s management of the project. The homeowner approved having Tilson on site during the repair of the sewage break on 11/7. Tilson and a Town Inspector were present during the excavation, and the homeowner expressed concerns upon discovering tree roots around the sewer break. Tilson and the resident continued their civil mediation.

No, this is not a Town project. As a utility, Gigapower has a legal right to install utilities in the right of way.

Under state law, Gilbert has no jurisdiction over a utility or its contractors. Contractors are regulated by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors and not cities or towns.

Tilson does not have a license with the Town of Gilbert for this work. Instead, Tilson is a contractor to a utility provider who is licensed by the Town. Permits issued to Tilson to conduct work as the contractor for Gigapower. Under state law, the utility has the legal right to do work in the right of way.

Tilson follows the Town standards of applying for permits for every area that they enter the Right of Way on this project. They do so on behalf of Gigapower as the recognized construction partner for them. It is not uncommon on a project this size for some permits to be cancelled or pulled, but this is not indicative of a punitive action by the Town, rather it could have to do with a number of complexities with the construction project.

All contractors must comply with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors rules and regular regulations.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.

Copyright 2024 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.