In the days after a water main break in southwest Detroit flooded homes and forced residents out on rafts, Jackie Muscat thought something was a little fishy with what she was being asked to sign: a liability waiver that had to be completed if she wanted city-sent contractors to fix her home.

Dozens of City of Detroit Water and Sewerage Department workers work around a large hole in Southwest Detroit on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. The hole was created when a 54-inch transmission line burst early Monday morning, flooding 150 to 200 homes near Beard and Rowan streets.