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Cleveland residents question water department repair crew response time

Residents claim 4 hours to shutdown main break
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Some Cleveland residents and business owners living near the 3000 block of Broadview Road believe the Cleveland Division of Water needs to examine its repair crew response time.

The complaints generated after an Oct. 9 water main break filled a quarter mile section of Broadview Road with rising water for more than four hours.

Jackie Spinelli, owner of the Sage Organic Salon said the water department first sent out a supervisor, who took an hour to get to the scene, and then ordered up a repair crew she says took another hour and a half to arrive.

Spinelli said she did all she could to protect her business, but said water started to creep into her basement.

"Oh I was left in a panic, I'm still a little shaky actually," said Spinelli. "I was just out in the rain for hours trying to stop the water because it was actually starting to go into the basement."

Terry Jones, who lives in a home on Broadview Road, said when repair crews finally arrived, they couldn't find the shut-off valve.

"They couldn't find it, they couldn't find it," said Jones.  "You're the water company, you should know where the main shut-off is located, but they couldn't find it. They've got to do a better job, that's all I can say. They've got to do a better job."

News 5 contacted the Cleveland Division of Water about this case, and it responded quickly.

Water department officials said the Broadview Road water main break occurred during a shift change, while other crews were attending to another main break.

The water department believes it responded correctly, and said the remaining clean-up should be completed on Oct. 10.

Still, Spinelli believes the water department should examine its response protocol.

"I was calling the Mayor's office, I called Cindy with councilman Kelley's office," said Spinelli. "I was requesting sandbags."