City, contractors blamed for flooding incident

SANDPOINT — A local business owner is seeking damages from the city and contractors after a sewer line replacement project in flooded one of their commercial properties.

Counsel for Gloria Waterhouse and Waterhouse Development LLC is seeking more than $25,000 in damages for negligence and lost rental income, according to a lawsuit filed in 1st District Court on Tuesday.

Also named as defendants are Century West Engineering Corp. and Earthworks Northwest, which performed the sewer line work on the city’s behalf.

Counsel for Waterhouse contends flooding occurred in the lower level of a space at 100 North First Ave. in October 2017. Water entered through a front corner of the building, saturating the lower 36 inches of the interior perimeter drywall and leaving standing water on bamboo floors of the basement studio and causing “substantial damage.” A city public works official was notified of the flooding and indicated that vibration from excavation caused pinholes to appear in an abandoned water line, which exacerbated the flooding, the suit alleges.

The suit further alleges that negligent excavation caused sloughing of the ground supporting a foundation of a neighboring landowner’s property. The erosion caused the failure of that building’s foundation and footing, the suit claims.

Waterhouse’s counsel, Boise attorney Brian Donesley, argues the city knew or should have known of the presence of the abandoned water line and attaching it to the city’s water line would cause damage. A project change order indicates that the presence of abandoned line was not noted on project plans, although Donesley contends other project documents describe a capped 4-inch PVC service line to a vacant lot, according to court documents.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.