Water main break causes over $30k in damages to home, Cobb County says they aren’t responsible

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Marietta homeowner Jonathan Jewell said water from an August water main break constantly flowed into his home for five hours.

“It looked like there was a decade’s worth of water flowing underneath my house just in those few hours,” Jewell said.

Jewell told Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Ashli Lincoln the water caused more than $34,000 in damages. The water damage left broken wood beams and black mold in the crawlspace.

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“I am afraid to walk in the main part of my house in fear that a beam is going to split or that a floor will sink,” he said.

Jewell said Cobb County crews told him on the scene they did not have the proper tools to turn the water break off. He says when he filed a claim for damages with Cobb County, they told him they weren’t responsible, citing sovereign immunity.

“I was really surprised at the response,” Jewell told Lincoln.

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A spokesperson for Cobb County told Channel 2 Action News each claim undergoes multiple reviews by at least three County departments. After bringing Jewell’s concerns to the county, their legal division has agreed to take another look at his claim.

Jewell is hopeful the county will provide some kind of financial relief.

“I hope they do what’s right,” he said.

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