Pipe Leak Lawsuit Filed Against City Of Folsom

FOLSOM (CBS13) - After more than one thousand complaints dating back a year, copper pipes in Hal Malmquist's Folsom home were still leaking.

He showed CBS13 where the new damage was. His kitchen leak, the second pinhole leak in his home in less than a year, will cost him $75,000.

"It's workable. We're basically camping in our own kitchen," he said.

Attorney Gene Stonebarger is representing victims and says the city has rejected all of their claims.

"Many of the residents of Folsom have not just suffered one leak, they've suffered multiple leaks. And they don't know when the next one is coming," Stonebarger said.

More than 1,400 properties have complained to the city about the leaks. So many that in August of last year, the City of Folsom hired two outside parties to investigate and learned it was the water itself creating the holes.

"Because the water is low in organic matter, it will try to stable itself to become more in equilibrium. And what the water will do is physically pull ions or, in this case, copper from the copper pipe," said Folsom Environmental and Water Resources Director Marcus Yasutake.

The city says it has added a low dose of a chemical called orthophosphate to the water, which creates a film or liner to prevent leaks inside the copper pipes.

"It's not going to do anything for me, my pipes are already damaged. I worry when the next grenade is going to go off," Malmquist said.

City leaders tell CBS13 they cannot comment on pending litigation, but confirmed city water meets all state and federal drinking water standards.