SW Detroit residents must report water main break flood damage by April 3, officials say

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26-03-2025

Residents whose homes, cars or possessions were damaged in the Feb. 17 water main break in southwest Detroit are being asked to act swiftly if they want the city and utility agencies to reimburse any of their losses.
Officials are calling for affected residents to file notices of claims by April 3 with the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department.
The 54-inch water transmission main break flooded basements, left cars trapped in frozen waves of ice, covered belongings in mud, and caused evacuations by rafts in the area of Beard and Rowan streets in a part of the city with just under 400 homes. The city and its partner in water administration, the Great Lakes Water Authority, have since pledged to cover all damages not covered by insurance.
City-sent crews have been cleaning the affected basements, with some spaces reported to be people's full living areas. Crews also have been replacing furnaces and hot water heaters so that residents can return home.
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As of Sunday night, 16 households were still in city-covered hotels, said Bryan Peckinpaugh, public affairs director for the water department. That's down from a height of 206 households in the aftermath.
Officials chose the claims deadline by looking at a Michigan law for sewage backups and overflows, Peckinpaugh said.
The Feb. 17 flooding was not sewage, per officials, but the law being used as guidance requires residents to make claims in writing within 45 days of when damage should have been discovered after a sewer backup or overflow. April 3 is 45 days after the water main break.
Residents can file a notice of claim on the city's water department webpage at detroitmi.gov/dwsd to meet the April 3 deadline. All damages and losses can be included in a singular claim. No claims need to be filed through the Great Lakes Water Authority.
The form is available in both Spanish and English, and anyone who needs help filling out the form is asked to call 313-774-5261. That phone number has served as the city hotline for all water main flood-related concerns and calls for help.
Peckinpaugh said it's key that a good description of the damage be provided in the notice of claim, along with contact information and the address where the damage occurred.
Additionally, receipts and documentation should be included.
If it is needed after an initial notice of claim is filed, residents can contact the city's third-party administrator, Mackinaw Administrators, at 877-311-3664 or [e-mail] to add more to the claim, add receipts, otherwise update the filing or check on the status of the case, Peckinpaugh said.
Eventually, there will be a cut-off date at which point residents can no longer add to claims, but Peckinpaugh said the option to update claims should be available through April.
He did say, however, that residents with damage to their cars should act fast and include those in claim forms right away.
The city is prioritizing settlements for damaged vehicles and is expected to start settling those claims for residents in the next seven or 10 days, Peckinpaugh said Monday.
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'We know that lack of transportation is a burden,' he said. 'They've already been burdened by this disaster, so cars are being prioritized.'
The process after filing a notice of claim, according to the city, is:
The resident who filed will receive an email or letter acknowledging the claim and giving them a claim number within about 14 days of filing.
Mackinaw Administrators will then process the claim. They will review documents, look at photos, and possibly visit the property. This process could take 45 to 60 days 'depending on the responsiveness of the claimant' with the administrators reaching out to the resident as needed for additional information.
Mackinaw Administrators will determine the amount of money that should be paid for the damage.
If the resident agrees to the amount, they will be required to sign a waiver releasing the city from liability before they receive the settlement. "If they decline the offer, it is up to them if they want to pursue legal action," Peckinpaugh said in a follow-up email.
Two lawyers previously told the Free Press that there is a high bar in court to overcome governmental immunity.
Officials have been knocking on doors, going to hotels and working with translators to pass along information and tell residents about the notice of claim deadline, Peckinpaugh said. They'll be at it again this weekend, though it's believed most notices of claims have already been filed.
So far, 321 such claims have been filed by individual households, Peckinpaugh said.
The cost for all the needs and fixes following the break will probably be around $8 million to $10 million, Detroit Water and Sewerage Department Director Gary Brown previously said.
Asked at news conferences about everything from insurance deductibles to lost wages to cleaning supplies for those who did their own cleaning after the break, officials have told residents to include everything on their claim forms and said officials will work to make residents whole.
Along with filing the notice of claim, Mayor Mike Duggan also previously said residents with insurance should be sure to contact their insurance company, too.
Staff writer Nour Rahal contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Deadline nears to claim damage from southwest Detroit water main break