Cleveland Water and Medina County are pointing the finger at each other, while Mary Ann Hall is stuck with a $16,000 bill.
BRUNSWICK, Ohio — A Brunswick woman is facing a five-figure bill after a water main leak turned her front yard into a construction site and later into a sewage disaster, all while two public agencies point the blame at each other.
Mary Ann Hall's quiet neighborhood seems picturesque, with manicured lawns, trimmed trees and clean streets around every corner. But now, she worries her home stands out for all the wrong reasons.
"It was very nice last summer," Hall begrudgingly chuckled. "Not so much this summer."
Water main leak turns into a sewage mess
The trouble began in late July when a water main leak turned Hall's front yard into a mess. Cleveland Water responded by digging into her lawn and sidewalk, fixing the leak but leaving the ground open until September.
A week after crews finally filled the hole, a new nightmare emerged: Sewage began backing up into her basement laundry room.
"It was a lot of mud," Hall remembered. "They said something's wrong in your lawn. We're going to have to excavate."
By October, Cleveland Water crews discovered a smashed sewer pipe. The cost to repair the damage: nearly $16,000. Hall was left to pay the bill herself.
"It's been really awful," she admitted.
For months, Hall waited while Cleveland Water investigated the incident. Finally, in mid-April, the agency sent the Hall family a denial of claim, meaning they refused to cover any costs related to the pipe they damaged.
Pointing the finger
Cleveland Water did not provide any reason behind their conclusion, nor did they communicate directly with Hall after the denial. When Hall asked for a copy of the agency's investigation, she was informed there was no related paperwork available.
That's when Cleveland Water blamed Medina County for the ruptured pipe and related mess. They claimed county workers incorrectly marked the Hall's house a "no conflict" dig, so there should have been no cause for caution when working in and around the yard.
But after being contacted by 3News, Medina County Utilities disputed that claim, saying they properly marked all main lines in front of Hall's home.
After weeks of reporting, both agencies sent statements to 3News denying responsibility. Those statements can be read in their entirety at the bottom of this article.
Nearly a year later, the two agencies still disagree, and Hall is still on the hook for the cost.
"You feel small, like your voice doesn't matter," Hall admitted. "It makes it like you're nothing. Someone, they did damage the pipe. Someone needs to put up for it, take responsibility."
Hall didn't break the sewer pipe, but nearly a year later, she's the only one paying for it.
Statement from Cleveland Water
"Regarding our work on Hilltop Dr., Cleveland Water properly contacted OUPS (OHIO811) before excavation occurred and followed the guidelines set forth by the Ohio Revised Code.
"Once Cleveland Water was notified of a potential main break on Hilltop Dr., we immediately contacted OUPS and filed a construction ticket at 5:52 am on July 31, 2024.
"OUPS sent the construction ticket to its utility members, including Medina County, who had underground facilities in Cleveland Water’s excavation area. Medina County submitted a 'no conflict' response on the ticket at 7:55 am that same morning. According to OUPS, a 'no conflict' submission on a ticket indicates that the underground facilities operated by the OUPS member were not in conflict based on information provided in the excavation request.
"Cleveland Water reasonably relied on Medina County's response of 'no conflict' on the OUPS ticket and proceeded with the necessary repair work. During excavation, we unfortunately struck an unidentified Medina County sewer lateral.
"We have been in contact with OUPS, and they have confirmed our stance on this matter."
Statement from Medina County
"The Medina County Sanitary Engineer's (MCSE) department received notification from Ohio Utility Protection Service (OUPS) that Cleveland Water was completing a water main repair at 4096 Hilltop Drive. The MCSE Utility Locator responded to the OUPS ticket with 'No Conflict' as the sanitary sewer main, the facility owned by the utility, is located on the opposite side of the road and was not in conflict with OUPS ticket. In accordance with Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 3781.27 (C)(2)(a) (https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-3781.27), the MCSE is not responsible for locating underground facilities serving single-family dwellings:
"'(a) Mark the location of the underground utility facilities, other than those facilities serving single-family or two-, three-, or four-unit dwellings, at the proposed excavation site in accordance with the marking standards described in division (C) of section 3781.29 of the Revised Code;'
"On September 25, 2024, a sanitary sewer permit application was submitted by Roto Rooter to repair the sanitary sewer lateral for 4096 Hilltop Drive and was approved that same day. The sanitary sewer repair work by Roto Rooter was initially inspected by our department on 10/15/2024 and passed inspection on 11/15/2024. As of 11/15/2024, our department was unaware of any sanitary sewer issues.
"It was not until May 16, 2025, that Ms. Hall had reached out to our department to explain the issues she had been experiencing. Mr. Romine and Mr. Dave Barefield spoke with Ms. Hall on Thursday, May 22, 2025, where she informed us of her situation.
"I did reach out to Roto Rooter to see if they remembered this repair and fortunately, they did. It was explained to me that the cause of the sanitary sewer lateral backup was smashed clay pipe. Apparently, Cleveland Water repaired the water curb box/shut-off valve, which was located directly over top of the sanitary sewer lateral. In addition to the sanitary sewer pipe being crushed, the storm sewer pipe was also crushed and repaired by Roto Rooter. Also, Roto Rooter mentioned that there was an abundance of backfill stone in that sanitary sewer lateral that they had to clean out.
"Furthermore, ORC 3781.30 (https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-3781.30) describes the Duties of excavator. Section ORC 3781.30 A(6) reads as follows:
"'(6) As soon as any damage is discovered, including gouges, dents, or breaks to coatings, cable sheathes, and cathodic protection anodes or wiring, report the type and location of the damage to the utility and permit the utility a reasonable amount of time to make necessary repairs;'
"At no point was our department ever notified that damaged occurred to the sanitary lateral."
3News also spoke with the Ohio Utilities Protection Service and asked for confirmation that the state agency had confirmed Cleveland Water's stance of having no responsibility in the damaged sewer pipe. OUPS provided a statement to 3News that read: "OUPS confirms contact with the city of Cleveland, but has no stance to support one agency over the other regarding this incident."