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Family wants Saratoga Springs, UDOT to take responsibility for flooding issues

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LEHI, Utah — Carson Hardman lives with his family in the house his grandparents built in the west side of Lehi on the corner of Mountain View Corridor and busy Redwood Road.

It's property that has been in the Hardman family for five generations and used to be farmland, but massive construction projects like one underway by the Utah Department of Transportation has come right up to the Hardman home and their adjacent gym business.

Over the last several days, the family claims the project has caused major problems with their ability to continue living here on their own property.

The family believes construction work has disrupted and contaminated a private well, and the flood waters from strong rains this weekend spilled over into a nearby retention pond above their property.

Videos shared on social media show rushing water spilling over the nearby retention pond in Saratoga Springs, which the Hardmans claims has caused problems before.

"The city passes it off, so somewhere there’s a breakdown," said Lora Hardman, who built the home with her husband 50 years ago.

Saratoga Springs officials responded to Sunday’s flooding, but told FOX 13 News that the pond causing the problems for the Hardman's is private property owned by a nearby HOA.

Lora believes the city needs to take some responsibility.

"It’s just clay, and that doesn’t hold back a pond that size," she said. "And so last night, we have all of this flooding and it got into the house, it got into the apartment, it got into the gym."

"Everyone’s just pushing the whole entire situation onto someone else," added Carson.

The gym on the Hardman property serves about one hundred people in the community. The family said in recent days, living there has become much harder after their running water turned brown.

"It has been compromised," Lora said. "There’s mud flowing into it."

The Hardman's think the UDOT construction project caused their private well to become contaminated. A department spokesman said Monday that they are aware of the situation and are looking into it.

In the meantime, Carson and his young family are using bottled water and running to friends and neighbors to shower.

"No one’s taking ownership and wanting to help us out with that, and same thing with the flood," he said.

After laying his own gravel on the washed-out road to the gym and cleaning up the flood damage done last night, Hardman and his family say they just hope to find a solution soon.

"Mistakes happen," said Carson. "Just make it right, that’s all I want."