MONROE, Ohio — The cracks running through the driveway at Megan Snyder's Monroe home are hard to miss.
Parts of the concrete are uneven. Support beams along the carport appear to be lifting out of the ground. Megan Snyder says areas of the driveway that were previously flat have sunk or separated.
She says the damage began May 6, when a fire hydrant on Wyndcrest Court broke during testing and water began rushing through the neighborhood.
Video from that day shows water flowing down the driveway and coming up through cracks in the pavement.
WATCH: Driveway still damaged months after water main breaks, Monroe homeowner says
The City of Monroe says the hydrant's failure caused a pressure surge that resulted in six water main breaks in the immediate area.
According to the city's Water Department, the hydrant's upper barrel separated from its lower barrel while it was open and flowing. The city's assessment says the resulting water-hammer pressure spike likely caused multiple breaks in the cast-iron water main.
The city repaired the portions of the driveway where crews had to excavate to reach the water main infrastructure.
But Marty Snyder, Megan's father and the homeowner, says the damage extends far beyond those areas.
"I'm looking at thousands of dollars in damages, and the city is claiming no responsibility," Marty said.
Marty estimates the total damage at tens of thousands of dollars.
Claim denied
Marty filed a claim through the city's insurance program seeking compensation for the damage.
The claim was denied by the insurance adjuster, who cited Ohio's political-subdivision immunity law.
Ohio Revised Code Chapter 2744 generally provides political subdivisions with immunity from certain claims for injury or property loss.
But the law also creates exceptions. Ohio law specifically classifies the establishment, maintenance and operation of a municipal water supply system as a proprietary function. Another section provides for liability for negligent acts involving proprietary functions.
That means a central question in the dispute is whether the Snyders could establish that negligence by the city caused the property damage.
The City of Monroe says it reported the claim and assisted the insurance company with its investigation. In a statement, the city said the Public Entities Pool of Ohio assigned an adjuster who conducted the investigation and determined whether the claim was covered.
"The City does not have input on the claims decisions made by the adjuster," the city said.
The damage
According to the Snyders, the city returned to the property shortly before WCPO 9's visit and put down topsoil, seed and straw over part of the area that had been disturbed.
But the larger driveway damage remains.
Megan says she cannot use the entire driveway normally and worries about people driving over the uneven concrete and the condition of the structures around the carport.
She says the damage has also gotten worse when it rains.
A disputed explanation
Megan and Marty also told WCPO 9 that a city worker allegedly told them a wrench or other tool had fallen into the water system while hydrant work was being performed.
Megan says she was told the object was banging around in the water line and contributed to the breaks.
The City of Monroe disputes that account.
The city says there is no documentation supporting the claim and that no employee reported an incident involving a dropped tool.
The city instead identifies the hydrant failure as the initiating event.
Records provided by the city show the hydrant had been inspected in 2023, 2024 and 2025. The 2023 inspection noted the hydrant was "very hard to turn open and closed" and marked maintenance as required. Later inspections in 2024 and 2025 found the hydrant operable.
The city's May 6, 2026, inspection records show the hydrant was no longer operable after it broke at ground level. The record says it was replaced by the Water Department the following day.
The city says the exact cause of the hydrant's mechanical failure is inconclusive.
It also says the Wyndcrest Court water main was installed in 1969 and that the city has no record of its original pressure test.
The city identified one additional water-main-related work order on Wyndcrest Court, a leak repair from January 2024 in a wooded area north of the Snyders' home.
'We need help'
For the Snyders, the legal and insurance dispute has left them unsure what comes next.
Megan says she does not have the money to make the repairs herself and is looking for an attorney who might take the case.
"We need help. We don't know where to turn," Megan said. "I'm in desperate need of legal counsel."
Megan says she wants her driveway back to the way it was.
