Sewer sabotage to cost $10,000 to fix
Angry ex-contractor threatened to dig up concrete, motel representative says

By Seth Burkett
sburkett@decaturdaily.com · 340-2355

Sewer lines filled with concrete at a construction site north of the Motel 6 will cost about $10,000 to replace, according to a police report released Thursday.

Sanjay Patel, a representative of Diplomat Companies, the owner of the site in the 800 block of Sixth Avenue Northeast, filed the report with Decatur police this week.

Water backing up

Patel told police he received a call from a contractor on Nov. 8 informing him that water had begun backing up in the lines, said Lt. Dennis Hughes, a police spokesman.

Problem inspected

Employees of Roto-Rooter inspected the problem.

"Upon inspection, it was discovered that someone had poured concrete into the sewer line, causing it to back up. Patel reported that the sewer line would have to be cut up and replaced at a cost of around $10,000," Hughes said.

Patel told police a conversation with a former contractor for the company had turned ugly the day before the workers discovered the sewer line clogged, Hughes said.

Making a threat?

Hughes said that according to the report, "a former contractor had wanted to talk to him (Patel) about an unpaid bill. He told him they would talk about it later."

"The contractor threatened to come back and dig up the concrete he had poured for Patel's company," Hughes said.

Police are investigating the incident.

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