Ogden residents flummoxed after 30 straight days of flooding


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OGDEN — Residents in Ogden have seen flooding in their homes daily for the past month — and no one knows where the water is coming from.

The people who lived in the 15 homes around Douglas Avenue have been dealing with virtually daily flooding for the past month with no end in sight.

There's a lot of finger-pointing about who is to blame.

Instead of soaking up the sun through the summer, the Smith family has been soaking up the floods.

"We've been prisoners here for 32 days," Jessica Smith said. "Twelve thousand gallons a day between just our two homes, and there are 14 homes affected."

Ogden city officials said they have tested for leaks in the culinary water lines multiple times. Each time, they found nothing. They also tested the secondary water company and found the same story.

"We've shut off our system," said Terel Grimley, general manager of Pine View Water Systems. "We've been monitoring it to ensure the water in the basements is not coming from our system."


We've been prisoners here for 32 days. Twelve thousand gallons a day between just our two homes, and there are 14 homes affected.

–Jessica Smith, Ogden resident.


Both agencies also hired a third party to double check for leaks.

"We're scratching our heads too, trying to figure out what it is," Grimley said.

Grimley said he's confident the leaks come from ground water seeping into the basements of the homes affected, but pointing fingers doesn't do any good.

"Blame is not what we're looking to place," he said. "We're looking for answers."

State agencies have gotten involved, and they will try another test that puts dye into the water lines. Pine View officials don't think the test is necessary — but a hydrologist will investigate in the coming days.

Whatever it is, the Smith family just wants it to stop.

"We just want to know where the water is coming from," she said, "because until that point we can't move on with our lives."

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