A Week After Apartment Flooding, Cherry Creek Resident Discouraged With Response

DENVER (CBS4) - Dozens of apartments remain flooded more than a week after a water valve broke at a complex in Cherry Creek, leaving some frustrated residents to temporarily abandon their homes.

"At 3 a.m., it started basically raining in my bathroom. I was thinking, 'Oh man, here we go,' " one resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said.

The flooding happened Christmas night. In some apartments on Friday, drying machines were still running.

The resident said there were at least a few inches of standing water in her apartment at the Seasons of Cherry Creek apartment building on East Ellsworth Avenue.

"There was nothing I could do. I got a bucket. It was Christmas night. I had nowhere else to go. It was a bummer," the resident said.

The flooding was caused by a malfunctioning pressure release valve. Twenty-five to 30 apartments were affected, according to manager Joanna Pulido. She said the building management has contracted a professional restoration company for repairs.

Pulido said the apartments are livable, but the resident who spoke with CBS4 disagrees.

"I would like to ask them if they would live in this apartment. It's probably, what, 90 degrees in here. It's loud. Everything's in disarray. I don't know if there's mold. I don't know what I'm breathing," the resident said.

She has relied on a friend for housing but fears it may be at least another week before her apartment is dry.

"We are fully aware of what can happen if water is not mitigated properly. We are taking every preventative measure to avoid any of those types of moisture issues down the road," Pulido said in a statement.

But the resident said the response time was long and the reaction unsympathetic.

"I think a little compassion would have gone a long way," she said.

There was some good news, for this resident at least. None of her belongings suffered water damage. She did ask the management whether they planned to pro-rate her rent. She said they told her no, but they told CBS4 that's something they might look into later.