Greenfield water main break, woman billed $20,000 for repairs
Greenfield water main break, woman billed $20,000 for repairs
Neighbors in Greenfield are still dealing with the consequences of a water main break that caused home flooding more than one year ago.
GREENFIELD, Wis. - It has been more than a year since a water main broke in Greenfield, flooding nearby houses. Yet neighbors are still dealing with the consequences of that day.
Water main break
The backstory:
Video taken inside Janis Kramer's sewer lateral shows that it's filled with rocks and debris. She said the rocks are too big to flush out, and plumbers said the pipe must be replaced.
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"You're trying to figure out, 'OK, what can I do? How can I afford this?'" Kramer told Contact 6. Replacing the sewer costs more than $20,000.
Video taken inside Janis Kramer's sewer lateral
The costly problem began with a water main break at 37th and Kimberly in Greenfield in July 2025. Kramer estimates at least six inches of water flooded her basement. Her home is among at least 10 that flooded, including her next-door neighbor's.
"The water was, I'd say, two-and-a-half to three feet deep," said Bob Adamus, Kramer's neighbor. He, too, had a pile of stones to remove from his basement. "When the water main broke, it broke up the stone and everything next to it. It shot a water jet into a sewer line."
Water Works responds
Timeline:
Greenfield's public water utility infrastructure is owned and maintained by Milwaukee Water Works (MWW). MWW sent Contact 6 a memo summarizing the day of the flooding. It detailed the following happened on July 31, 2025:
- At 12:35 p.m. – MWW got a report of water bubbling around a sewer manhole cover.
- By 1:30 p.m. – An MWW investigator arrived on-site. A Greenfield Department of Public Works sewer maintenance crew was already there. The DPW crew discovered rocks, sand and other debris blocking the sewer main. The crew stopped the release of water from the water main and jet-cleaned the sewer.
- At 3 p.m. – An MWW inspector restored the water service, which led to another water main break.
- At 4:45 p.m. – MWW got a report of water damage at nearby homes.
- At 5 p.m. – An MWW field crew was on site and began repairs.
- By 6 p.m. – The water was shut off, stopping the flow of water into the sewer main and nearby homes.
Manhole cover near 37th and Kimberly, Greenfield
The memo concludes an investigation found that "the water released from the water main failure caused damage to the sewer lateral (at one property), which served as an entry point for debris into the sewer main."
It goes on to say the "resumption of water service after the sewer main was cleaned resulted in additional rock, sand and debris entering the sewer main, which subsequently led to flooding and property damage..."
Cleanup costs
Why you should care:
Initially, Kramer thought she only needed to pay for the clean-up: "I thought I really lucked out here, I don't have this big problem."
MWW reimbursed neighbors for damages caused by the water main failure. Adamus said he got about $20,000, some of which went to his plumber.
"He was able to get my line cleared," said Adamus. "I'm able to use my sewer, but there's still stone and gravel in my pipe, just not enough to block it at this point in time."
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Kramer filed a claim with the Milwaukee City Clerk asking for help with clean-up costs. She got about $4,700, in addition to $2,500 from her insurance, but she never cashed the city's check because of what took place months after the flooding.
"There's water coming up in my floor drain," she said.
Dig deeper:
Kramer said her sewer lateral backed up in December 2025. It happened again in March. Yet in April, Kramer signed a form to claim her money from the City of Milwaukee. It also released the city "from any and all property damage claims" arising from the incident in the future. She said she didn't understand what she was giving up at the time.
"I'm 79. I have no idea about any of this stuff," Kramer told Contact 6.
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In May 2026, Kramer realized the volume of debris in her pipe when a plumber sent down a camera. She said she's been anxiously conserving water to avoid another backup.
"(MWW has) got the manpower. They've got all the equipment. Why don't they just come and fix it? That's what I would like," Kramer told Contact 6 in the summer.
The release form that Kramer signed says that "Milwaukee Water Works prematurely restored water service before repairs were completed, damaging the sewer lateral...This allowed additional debris, rocks and sand to enter the sewer main causing flooding and damage..."
Kramer wishes she had never signed it: "This shouldn't be happening to me."
Last week, a plumbing crew arrived at Kramer's home and replaced the pipe. At least now, the water is flowing freely.
"I just want it done, I'm so tired of this," Kramer said.
The other side:
The MWW memo said that "damages related to sewer lateral backups at Ms. Kramer's property were not included in the claim or provided during the claim settlement process."
Kramer's family said they will attempt another claim, now that the pipe is replaced. Her next-door neighbor said, as of right now, he's been made whole. He still worries that the rocks in his lateral could cause future backups.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6's Jenna Sachs and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from Janis Kramer, Bob Adamus, documentation provided by Kramer, a MWW open records request, and a MWW memo.