HOUSTON – Back in August 2022, CenterPoint Energy replaced all of the gas lines in Ashley McAuley’s Champion Forest neighborhood, going house by house.
What happened next is something McAuley said she would have never imagined, and it left her so upset and outraged.
“What we went through was so awful. It was a living nightmare,” McAuley said.
When crews with Digco, a company contracted by CenterPoint, came out on Aug. 31, 2022, they dug a hole and put in a brand-new gas line. McAuley said she thought that was that until about two weeks later when she noticed issues with her toilets.
“Being too full, being too low, gurgling noises and our powder room overflowed,” McAuley said.
The toilet then overflowed with raw sewage, which also flooded the entryway and under the dining room table, according to McAuley.
She said when crews were installing the gas line, they allegedly drilled through her sewer line.
She claimed CenterPoint gave her the run around when she contacted them.
“I contacted CenterPoint and then CenterPoint said that it was their subcontractor Digco’s fault,” McAuley said.
While the damaged line was eventually patched, McAuley never expected she and her family would have to live through months of repairs with fans, dehumidifiers and asbestos abatement.
“Because our kitchen wasn’t affected our homeowner’s insurance policy didn’t cover having us move out of the house,” McAuley said.
She added that a few of her neighbors are dealing with the same issues.
“A neighbor also had her sewer line damaged and her powder room overflowed. (She had) the exact same story,” McAuley said.
McAuley is demanding CenterPoint take responsibility and contacted KPRC 2 for what she calls the company’s “lack of communication.” She said she also intends to get her elected leaders involved.
“Who has oversight here? Who can make sure that these people are doing their jobs the way they’re supposed to be done,” McAuley said.
KPRC 2 reached out to CenterPoint Energy for comment and is awaiting a response.