Brian and Sarah Kassin’s home in west-central Topeka was overwhelmed in 2014 when an 86-year-old city water main broke about 13 feet away, releasing 4 million gallons of water.
That torrent pushed the couple’s house at 3100 S.W. Dorr off its foundation, effectively destroying it, then-Shawnee County District Judge Evelyn Wilson concluded.
Wilson in January 2018 dismissed a lawsuit the Kassins had filed against Topeka city’s government, saying they failed to prove the city acted negligently.
Still, the case highlights the potential threat to homes near deteriorating water lines and the challenges city officials face as they seek to be fiscally responsible yet effectively address what they call a “crisis” regarding the city’s aging water main system.
(Read more: Political – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
