SPRINGDALE, Ohio -- A monthslong blame game between city officials and Greater Cincinnati Water Works left homeowner Dana Henson dealing with an ever-expanding problem at the end of his driveway.
"Every day, when I back out the driveway, I'm wondering if my muffler is going to come off or if I'm just going to sink in," he said. "Is it just going to give way when one of these cars drive by?"
The sinkhole he worries will swallow him whole was created in December 2016, Henson said, when a fire hydrant line burst near his home.
The rupture caused immediate damage to his property and car, which he said was pelted with rocks, plus long-term damage to the surrounding area. That damage culminated in the Earth opening up beneath his son's motorcycle in June, he said.
"The ground just broke," Henson said.
Despite daily documentation of the problem, Henson said neither the City of Springdale nor Greater Cincinnati Water Works agreed to help him; each claimed it was the other entity's responsibility.
It wasn't until Tuesday, after WCPO reached out, that a representative from Greater Cincinnati Water Works arrived at Henson's home to promise a temporary grate over the sinkhole and, eventually, a permanent fix.
Greater Cincinnati Water Works will also pay the Henson family's $500 insurance deductible, according to a spokesperson.
