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According to Shamon, the city installed new water pipes on Oregon Street in May and June of 2017. In August, she began to notice water seeping into her basement and her tenants moved out.\u00a0 Shamon said she contacted the water department several times in September and October. She said city officials blamed contractor Burtech Pipeline for the damage.<\/p>\n
Shamon began keeping notes of her contacts with city. On Oct 16, 2017, she wrote, \u201cthe city said they sent someone out and all was fine,\u201d although water was collecting outside her building. The following month, Shamon put in a sump pump for almost $900. The pump appeared to keep the basement dry and new tenants moved in.<\/p>\n
But in March 2018, water began seeping into the basement again. On two occasions, according to Shamon\u2019s notes, water department officials found leaks in nearby city pipes. On April 3, one inspector, Shamon wrote, found a leak \u201cas big as a lake.\u201d Tests showed chlorine,which meant the water came from a pipe and not the ground. More calls from Shamon to the city followed. Her notes show that her calls were often not returned.<\/p>\n
In October 2018, a water main break on Idaho Street flooded North Park streets, submerging cars. Water leaked into Shamon\u2019s basement. Shamon continued calling city officials. She said they told her that city contractor Burtech Pipeline or San Diego Gas & Electric was responsible for the damaged pipes. She met with a Burtech representative and city officials on Oct. 18. According to her notes, the two sides blamed each other for the leak in her basement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got nowhere,\u201d Shamon wrote.<\/p>\n
She spent her own money repairing the basement again but water continued to come in. \u201cSo strange,\u201d she wrote on Dec. 27, 2018. \u201cThere is still so much water coming into the building. Sump pump running all the time and emptying into the gutter. The water is like a river in the back of my building.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since then, her basement has remained wet with thin streams of water snaking across the floor and the sound of a dehumidifier. Her new tenants have moved out.<\/p>\n
In April, an inspector with the storm water department found that the leak was not coming from her building and filed a report with the public utilities department. She was encouraged to work with the public utilities department. At this time, Shamon said, city officials said San Diego Gas & Electric might be responsible.<\/p>\n
The water seeping onto Shamon\u2019s property has also spread to the patio of a restaurant next door, The Porchetta Shack.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow can they do business?\u201d said Massoud Asad, the landlord for The Porchetta Shack. \u201cWhat we have is everyone has to work together to fix this. Every city department thinks it\u2019s another department\u2019s responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the 30 years she has operated her talent agency, Shamon said she has never encountered a problem like this.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve lost my tenants,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m worried about my foundation and mold. I\u2019m worried about my staff with the odor. Mostly I\u2019m amazed that nobody helps me. I didn\u2019t cause this thing that\u2019s happening and the city\u2019s not fixing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
An inspection of Shamon\u2019s property ruled out storm water infrastructure as being the cause of the leak, said city spokesman Anthony Santacroce.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s kind of a mystery we\u2019re trying to figure out,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s been a lot of pipe work in that area.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shamon has also been in touch with the office of her council member, Chris Ward, in District 3. In a statement, Ward\u2019s office said it had been working with Shamon for several weeks and had referred her to the office of Mayor Kevin Faulconer, \u201casking for an expedient resolution. Unfortunately, city staff have yet to come to a solution to Ms. Shamon\u2019s extended issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a May 21 email to Shamon, a staff member for Ward wrote, \u201cI am sorry to hear about these continued issues. I have tried my best to get you connected to the right City staff to address these continued issues. [They have] the capacity to work with and direct City staff to address this.\u201d<\/p>\n
The mayor\u2019s office and Burtech Pipeline did not return repeated calls for comment. A spokeswoman for SDG&E wrote in an email, \u201cSDG&E sent a representative to visit the location, and we are confident that the source of the leak is not the product of work performed by SDG&E.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey can\u2019t even stop water from coming into her building,\u201d said attorney Jerry Moe, who is representing Shamon. \u201cIt\u2019s common sense. Stop the damage and figure out who pays. This has been going on for two years. C\u2019mon, this isn\u2019t rocket science.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shamon remains determined to see the matter resolved.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not giving up,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m not just going to live with this. This is my business. I worked hard for it. I just never thought it would take two years to fix a leak.\u201d<\/p>\n