FOLSOM, Calif. — In August 2020, Hal Malquist was experiencing pinhole-sized leaks in his copper pipes causing serve damage. A year later, his home is still leaking, and he's filing a lawsuit against the city of Folsom.
“Recovering damages for the harm that resulted from the leaks,” said Gene Stonebarger, Malquist's lawyer.
Stonebarger said the recent leak in Malquist's kitchen will cost him $75,000. Malquist asked the city to pay for it before joining a lawsuit with others in his position.
“The city has rejected all of those claims,” Stonebarger said.
Owners of some 1,400 properties complained to the city about the leaks. It was so many that, in August of last year, the city of Folsom hired two outside parties to investigate the cause of the leaks. They learned that it was the water creating the holes.
“Orthophosphate was added in low dosages. And what that does with the chemical makeup of the water..., it actually goes inside the pipes and makes a film or liner in the copper pipe, and that has reduced the number of pinhole leaks," said Marcus Yasutake, spokesperson for the city of Folsom.
The city reimbursed 110 people whose property was impacted by pinhole leaks, with the average permit costing $200.
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