Fayette County Commissioners, I would like to bring a situation to your attention that I believe needs your immediate attention.

On Jan. 23, 2006, a crew from Fayette County Water was working on the fire hydrant at the end of my driveway. During the course of this work, the water backed up into my washing machine, covering all of my 3-year-old daughter’s clothes with mud, rust and other disgusting matter. The clothes were, needless to say, ruined.

My wife called the Fayette County Water Department to report the incident. The operator immediately dispatched a representative with two bottles of “Red-B-Gone” Rust and Stain Remover and was told to wash the clothes with this product. The operator also told my wife that this had never happened before.

My wife washed the clothes according to the product instructions. All of the clothes were completely bleached beyond recognition.

We called the Fayette County Water Department again to report the new condition of the clothing. They dispatched a Fayette County marshal to file a report on the incident. The marshal collected photographs of the clothing and a statement from my wife. The estimated value of the clothing was approximately $250.

I just received a call from the Director, Tony Parrott, of the Fayette County Water Department. He told me that the county would not cover this loss. His reasoning was that I did not follow the instructions on the product.

The instructions were followed. The issue is not how the clothing was washed, rather it is the fact that the water backed up into the washer in the first place. Had we not used the “Red-B-Gone” the clothing would still be ruined, regardless of the instructions on the product. Rust, mud and other matter does not come out of white clothing. I think we can all agree on the effects of Georgia red clay on a white T-shirt.

I am surprised and appalled at the behavior of Mr. Parrott’s department for several reasons:

1. If this has never happened before, why did they have the product ready to go off the shelf?

2. Why could the crew not knock on the door of the immediate area and let people know what is going on? The official Web site of Fayette County states that “Fire hydrants are flushed at regular intervals to maintain water quality in the distribution system.” If this is done regularly, the county should publish the schedule and notify residents that this work may be taking place and to adjust accordingly.

3. If this has never happened before, and it is not seen as a problem by the county, then why not reimburse me for the damaged clothing?

4. The attempt to change the issue from the water backing up to how to wash clothes is silly and unprofessional.

5. Why does this happen if a back-flow preventer is installed on each house? Dirty water was not only in the washer and all three toilets; it was also coming out of the faucets and shower heads.

We are not a typical Peachtree City household making large sums of money. We are a small family, one working out of the home on a fixed salary, one working in the home with two small children. The complete disregard for the personal hardship this has put upon my family is ridiculous.

Steve Foran
Peachtree City, Ga.

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