PORT ARTHUR, Texas — A Port Arthur couple was forced to rip out carpets and more from their home after their bathrooms backed up with sewage.
Robert and Clara Whitmire live on Cobblestone Lane in the Stonegate Manor subdivision in Port Arthur.
On Sunday is when the major mess occurred.
"The commode had overflowed, and sewage had come up in the showers, bathtub in both bathrooms and had already seeped into the adjoined closet in the room next door," Clara Whitmire said.
This was a problem the couple never faced in their 24 years at their home.
They say that a few weeks before their sewage issues began, there were workers digging holes near the sewage lines in the neighborhood and even behind their home.
"We had no notification from the city whatsoever that we had any sewer problems, or they were going to be doing any work. other than that gentleman," Whitmire said.
The couple made calls to the City of Port Arthur's Public Works Department.
A plumber then snaked down their pipe to find that the city's main line had a blockage.
Port Arthur Mayor Thurman Bartie explains to 12News how they found the issue.
"After digging, is when they discovered an electrical line, that could be very hazardous and fatal to several individuals. So, I have been told that Entergy has been apprised of it. They are working with contractors to see when they can move this electrical line," Bartie said.
Entergy disputes Bartie's statement saying in part, "the contractors hired to excavate for this Port Arthur sewage issue failed to call 811 before digging around electrical equipment, which is the law."
Entergy tells 12News in a statement the company also used "improper equipment" to excavate near the alleged problem area.
"As a result of unsafe digging, Entergy Texas equipment was damaged, which led to brief outages. Entergy Texas immediately notified the City of Port Arthur of hazardous excavation work and requested the contractors call 811 to have all underground lines marked for safety before digging again," Entergy officials said in the statement.
Entergy says they don't need to perform any work on their electrical lines to resolve the city’s sewage issue.
"However, we’ve agreed to proactively de-energize our distribution line to help minimize risks while contractors work to complete repairs. As a safety precaution, customers in the area will experience an outage from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 6th. The city plans to notify all impacted customers prior to the planned outage," officials said.
Entergy wants to remind everyone that digging without knowing what’s beneath the surface can cause serious harm, which is why "Entergy Texas consistently reminds homeowners and professional contractors to use the free 811 service before digging to prevent injuries, property damage, and inconvenient utility outages."
The Whitmires wish they had more notice, so they could have prepared.
"The fact is, I feel this could of all been prevented. We had a plumber bill of $1,300 yesterday, very frustrating," Whitmire said.
Read the full statement provided to 12News from Entergy Texas below:
The contractors hired to excavate for this Port Arthur sewage issue failed to call 811 before digging around electrical equipment, which is the law. The company also used improper equipment to excavate near the alleged problem area. As a result of unsafe digging, Entergy Texas equipment was damaged, which led to brief outages. Entergy Texas immediately notified the City of Port Arthur of hazardous excavation work and requested the contractors call 811 to have all underground lines marked for safety before digging again.
Entergy Texas does not need to perform any work on our electrical lines to resolve the city’s sewage issue. However, we’ve agreed to proactively de-energize our distribution line to help minimize risks while contractors work to complete repairs. As a safety precaution, customers in the area will experience an outage from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 6th. The city plans to notify all impacted customers prior to the planned outage.
As a reminder, digging without knowing what’s beneath the surface can cause serious harm, which is why Entergy Texas consistently reminds homeowners and professional contractors to use the free 811 service before digging to prevent injuries, property damage, and inconvenient utility outages. For more information, visit Texas 811.