We are having a bit of a dilemma and while it gets sorted out I thought it might be a good time to see if anyone has ever run into this type of problem.. Ok.. So my builder recently ripped out the sidewalks to prepare for laying the new ones.. While doing so he uncovered a minor leak from the water connection (located under sidewalk).. We contacted the water company and they came out to inspect.. They decided to put a brand new water line in since the old pipe was a lead pipe.. While doing their work we heard two (2) versions of what happened.. From a few neighbors we heard that the water company hit the sewer line and caused some damage.. From another source we were told that the water company "uncovered pre-existing damage" to the sewer line that they said was "covered up".. The town sewer line runs under the sidewalk at about 8ft.. Water company claims they were only digging at about 3ft.. Water company calls in the company that handles the sewer line and has them replace a section of pipe.. So everything is done.. Or so we thought.. Water company said they would have to come back to do the connection at the curb and install the shutoff.. Well.. Yesterday we had massive amounts of rain.. Apparently my neighbor had their basement completed flooded.. I have not had a chance to talk to him directly but one of the other neighbors commented that there was more water in his basement then in my swimming pool.. It was enough that they had the fire department respond last night to pump water out or at least assist and from what I understand they were still pumping water out today.. Neighbor assumes he flooded because my sidewalk is still not in.. Water company and town went to site today and they are trying to say that my contractor damaged the sewer line when they made the connection.. I told them that there was a pre existing connection since there was a house on the property before we purchased.. The existing connection ran into our property and was about 15 feet from the main line.. I told the town guy what happened when the water company was working.. He said he would let me know when he had more information.. I heard through another source that the town's DPW went to the site and found a clog in the sewer line and that it was a piece of broken pipe that was the cause of the clog.. The clog then subsequently caused the backup and flooding of neighbors basement.. The town said they are putting a camera in the sewer line to get the exact extent of what is going on.. One of my main concerns is where fault will fall.. IF the town says that the reason that the neighbor flooded was due to damage in the sewer line and they try to say it had something to do with my connection then who would be responsible for the neighbors damages? Would it fall on me as the property owner? General contractor who is constructing the house? Plumbing sub contractor? Since the water company brought in their own company to repair the pipe then I would assume they took responsibility for the damage to the sewer line.. Would the fault be on their company that was brought in to repair the pipe?