News 12 First at Five; November 17, 2008

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. --- Three days after the Andrews Branch neighborhood flooded, people are still cleaning up their homes. The homes have only been there for a few years, but it's a long few years of problems. Now, there is a flooding lawsuit filed by people who live there.

The make-shift lake from Friday is gone, at least on the outside of David Hardy's home. Outside, there is a hose that's pumping water -- almost 7 inches of water -- out from underneath his home. "[I went in] and scuba dived underneath my house," says David. "I already have growths underneath my house because of this water problem and my wife is a nurse. She warned me, showed me all of the medical documents what it can do to my 14-month-old. That's a very big concern for a new father."

David says he has mold growing on the wood on his home and on his neighbor Mitchell's home, too. So, they called in a private engineer and he found some mold on the wood.

"Just thinking about what my son is breathing in... because of this (the mold)," says David.

That same engineer filed his findings with the Aiken County Courthouse. In it, he says he found foundation defects, drainage issues, storm drainage defects and more on the two homes.

David and his neighbor also filed a lawsuit in the courthouse against the City of North Augusta, the builders and others involved in the construction. They allege the builders obtained building permits for the homes, built them, then the city signed off approving the elevation of the moves, even when they allegedly knew storm water would not drain properly.

"Very frustrating, very stressful," says Mitchell Perdue. "I can't sleep at night, can't enjoy your life. I've lost 30 months of my life here."

The City tells News 12, they're not responsible for the way homes are built on the lot where they live and that their building code does not address drainage issues on properties. But, the City does say they check during and after the construction to make sure other building procedures are followed. They tell us, if someone lives in the home, it's assumed all codes were met.

According to the Center for Disease Control, mold is found both in and outdoors and can enter through doorways, windows, vents and air conditioning systems. It grows where there is a lot of moisture.

Mold can result in bronchial problems, because once it's inside, it can spread to your clothes, furniture and even your pets. Now, you can control this by fixing leaky roofs, windows and pipes, cleaning and drying surfaces after a good rain or flood and making sure you shower. Do your laundry and cook in areas that are well ventilated.

In South Carolina, if you're looking for help, you can contact the Bureau of Air Quality out of Columbia at (803) 898-4852 and if you're out of the state, you can contact the EPA Indoor Air Quality Information Clearinghouse at (800) 438-4318.