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Family Still Pumping Water Out Of Home 8 Months After Floods

BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) - Temperatures across Colorado's Front Range are starting to warm up, and the resulting snowmelt is causing problems for a Boulder family.

Flooded Basement
(credit: CBS)

The Gallaghers have been pumping water out of their home on Amber Street since it flooded last September during the state's historic flooding, and now it's only getting worse.

They have been constantly pumping out about 50 gallons a minute of floodwater from the basement, which has led to an extremely high energy bill.

City officials say they are aware of the problem, but that it's out of their hands.

"He is in a location where there is a creek as well as a ditch and so in those types of locations we see elevated groundwater levels, so that compounded with the high water table unfortunately there's just a lot of water in the system," Boulder Public Works spokesman Mike Banuels said.

The family didn't like that answer and went to the Boulder City Council, but they say so far no action to help has been taken.

"Yes we are dealing with a very rare situation but 50 gallons a minute out of your house for eight months? That's just not normal and something needs to be done to solve it," Dennis Gallagher said.

"We don't know where to go, and we have tried different routes," Michelle Gallagher said.

Public Works told CBS4 several houses around Boulder have had their sump pumps running because of the spring runoff, but they acknowledged the Gallaghers' situation is the worst they've seen.

Dennis Gallagher said the hydraulic pressure would start to ruin the foundation of their home if they didn't pump out the water.

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