Tempe neighborhood battles ongoing irrigation pipe damage

TEMPE, Ariz. - Ongoing irrigation concerns continue to affect a historic Tempe neighborhood.

What they're saying:

Homeowners say bad excavation work over the spring, along with failed attempts to fix it, have left them high and dry.

FOX 10 first shared a story on the water issues in the Tally Ho Farms neighborhood in July, and checked back in with the neighbors earlier this month.

"A whole lot hasn't changed. We've just moved the story a little farther to my driveway," said Chris Runion, a Tally Ho Farms resident.

Since March, Runion has had to navigate an irrigation nightmare in the front yard of her Tempe home near Warner and Rural Roads. It all began when she says a contractor for developer Thompson Thrift damaged an irrigation pipe while conducting work connected to a new shopping center across the street.

Runion says several attempts to fix the issue have been unsuccessful, and routine yard work is now even more of a chore.

"When I go out to mow, what they have left behind is a lot of ruts and big mounds of dirt. There's also hidden chunks of concrete which my mower hit one, and now it's making weird noises that it shouldn't make. It's almost like dying now," Runion said.

Dig deeper:

Also dying are some of the trees in the larger Tally Ho Farms South neighborhood. More than 40 homes rely on the same SRP irrigation network, and due to the irrigation pipe issues on Runion's property, residents must either pay for city water or go without.

"The nightmare is real. Everybody is at wit's end. I have one neighbor that lost a big mature tree. I have another neighbor that was complaining that she had a $600 bill. I shared that information with another neighbor who said that they had a $900 bill. We're on large parcels of property, we can't afford to be without water," said Debbie Keller, Tally Ho Farms Neighborhood Association president.

What's next:

Runion says a complaint was filed with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors, and a site inspection is scheduled for Dec. 1. Meanwhile, homeowners are discussing their options, including footing the bill for a new contractor to come fix the leak. But first, they are hoping Thompson Thrift will step in and provide some relief.

"Hire a qualified contractor that lays concrete pipe that knows the proper way to do it and do it correctly and just get it behind us," Keller said.

"I just wish someone would say 'Hey, you need to have some scruples and do what's right,'" Runion said.

Thompson Thrift responded to initial reporting in July with a statement saying they are aware of the issue and take the concerns seriously. A follow-up inquiry was sent to the company, and a response is pending.