Pipes burst dream of a happy return

Lawrence family’s move back home stalled by leak

Columbia Gas rained on Yohanny Cespedes’ parade — literally — when a pipe burst yesterday causing water to leak into her home, canceling her would-be joyous return to normalcy.

Cespedes, who was set to return to her home in Lawrence yesterday after spending nearly two months in a hotel with her husband and three children, noticed a dripping ceiling in her kitchen and bathroom.

“I saw water in my apartment and I told myself it was because of the rain,” said Cespedes, who later called a plumber and found out a pipe had broken even though her house was winterized a week ago.

“They didn’t realize that I had a broken pipe so they opened up the water,” said Cespedes. “The workers didn’t do a good job. They didn’t drain the water and the water in the pipe got frozen.”

Cespedes said now she won’t be able to return home for another week and will continue to stay at the hotel.

“I feel disappointed,” she said. “There’s nothing that we can do about it but I’m dying to be home.”

According to Columbia Gas spokesman Dean Lieberman, a “small number” of customers have experienced freezing pipes.

“We recognize the dangers that freezing pipes can present, which is why we have offered professional winterization services to all customers who did not yet have heat, and accelerated this work before prolonged freezing temperatures set in. We’ve winterized more than 160 customers,” said Lieberman.

Lieberman said the winterization process includes “turning off water service to homes, draining and blowing out pipes with compressed air and adding specialized antifreeze to toilets, sink and tub drains.”

Luisa Pena, who lives in the same apartment building as Cespedes, was also planning on returning home with her husband and 3-year-old daughter yesterday. Her apartment was not damaged by the broken pipe, but she is still in limbo.

Pena is nearly nine months pregnant — and with a Dec. 14 due date, she is worried the baby will come before her home is ready. “I’m really afraid that the time will come and I will be in the hotel,” Pena said in Spanish. “I can’t even think about it. It’s very stressful.”

Pena has been staying in a hotel and has not been able to prepare the baby’s new room with fresh paint, a crib and decorations yet.

“I think the baby could come early because it’s in a low position,” said Pena. She hopes to return home as soon as possible as her due date nears.

ANGELA ROWLINGS PHOTOS / HERALD STAFF BAD TIMING: Yohanny Cespedes looks at the water on the floor in her apartment after finding that a pipe had burst the day she had been expecting her heat and hot water to be restored. She speaks with a Columbia Gas employee, left.