Falls Church, VA – Family Complains of Water Pipe Damage at Grave

Falls Church, VA – Repeated instances of flooding at King David National Memorial Park, a Jewish cemetery owned and operated by the National Funeral Home on Rt. 29, has not only inundated headstones, but has drawn the ire of those with loved ones buried there as numerous complaints have gone ignored.

When Phyllis Schwartz’s mother passed away, deteriorating conditions around the grave became evident.
Schwartz noticed that her mother’s grave was elevated from the ground and the headstone was displaced because of the water pressure from underground. She was told the flooding was due to faulty pipes below the burial site that ruptured, causing water to inundate graves throughout several plots.

“The plumbing system was probably put out there 50 years or so ago,” said David Benner, general manager of the cemetery. “[The pipes] need repair … since it’s very costly for us to have water draining and not controlling it, we usually address that right away.”

Though Schwartz, who resides in Byrdstown, Tenn., said “I go up to my mom’s grave and I’m sinking. [Mud] is above my ankles.”
One plot was completely submerged under a particularly deep pool of oily water. It could not be determined, however, if the source of the water was from underground or from recent heavy rain. “I just want my mom’s plot to be the way it should be,” Schwartz said.

Mike Andrews, of Fairfax County Health Department, said health concerns should be considered if the damaged pipes have caused standing water to form around graves.

National Funeral Home, owner of King David National Memorial Park, was recently cited for keeping for operating without a license or manager, according to authorities. The funeral home was fined $13,000 and placed on probation for three years.