Neighbors Endure Sewage Problem At Arvada Apartment Complex
ARVADA, Colo. (CBS4) - Sam Clements is a musician who used to live in an apartment located on Grandview Avenue in Old Town Arvada. He says he and his neighbors were having issues with their sewer backing up, so the management company came out to fix his toilet.
He says the worker they sent took his toilet off its base and raw sewage flooded into his apartment. He describes it as, "Excretions inches and inches thick."
He says nine hours later, the worker vacuumed up the sewage then left. Sam says it took a full nine days before anyone returned to help him finish cleaning his carpet.
"They had asked me when I went to pay the rent had they done anything to clean up the area. I said, 'No not yet.' The guy who asked that question kind of freaked out. He said, 'Oh my god'" said Sam.
The management company sent someone to his apartment to clean his carpet right away, but Sam thinks they didn't clean up properly. Besides, by then it was too late. Sam was already feeling sick.
"Well it started with my feet blisters on my foot," said Sam. "I didn't think nothing of it, then started the headaches."
Sam says he also had trouble sleeping despite lower energy levels and stomach problems. He went to the doctor when he started getting pain in his spleen. He says his doctor told him it was likely from the sewage and gave him medicine.
"One round of antibiotics didn't help. Two rounds of antibiotics didn't help," said Sam.
He is now on his third round of antibiotics. He no longer lives at the apartments because he says all the tenants were asked to vacate so the management company could remodel the building.
He says he wants to warn people because he's worried if the place isn't totally renovated from the ground up anyone who moves in might get sick. He also thinks the management company and the building owner should pay for his medical expenses.
"We'd like them to be responsible for anything that's going to happen in the future," said Sam.
CBS4 reached out to the management company who says they can't comment because someone has already filed a lawsuit in regards to this situation. Sam says he has yet to contact a lawyer.
