Apartment residents say they're still without water after unit fire, water main break
CINCINNATI (WKRC) - Some people living in a Cincinnati apartment complex were left without running water for days after a fire and water main break.
Local 12 News went to Williamsburg of Cincinnati after receiving several complaints from people who live there.
A woman named Tiffany, who did not want to show her face on camera, says the water shut off on Friday after a fire broke out in a unit on Thanksgiving.
She showed us a note that she says property managers placed on neighbors’ doors, explaining the water would be turned off until they could find the water break.
Tiffany also sent us a video of water pooling underground outside.
She had been using that water to fill buckets so her family could flush their toilets.
On Monday morning, she says she and her daughter used water bottles to brush their teeth and wash their face. Tiffany says they had to leave home to shower at other people’s houses over the weekend.
Tiffany says she is understanding of the fact there was a fire that caused this, but she and other neighbors believe more should have been done to help people who live at Williamsburg over the past few days.
“People can’t go to work. People can’t bathe. They can’t send their kids to school,” she said. “They haven’t accommodated us. They haven’t even brought us a bottle of water.”
Tiffany believes the complex waited too long to contact Greater Cincinnati Water Works.
“They could have had water works fix it from the jump, instead of having their little side piece or whoever they had fix it," she said.
Leasing workers on site Monday did not want to speak to Local 12 News about the water issues.
We have reached out to the property owner for comment.
Greater Cincinnati Water works sent the following statement to Local 12 News:
“Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW) is aware of the water service disruption at the Williamsburg of Cincinnati apartment complex. GCWW identified the problem as a break in a private water line owned by Williamsburg and notified the property management. Repairs attempted by the property management over the weekend were unsuccessful at restoring water service.
GCWW is currently assisting the property management with repairs. Water service is expected to be restored later this afternoon. The property will be under a precautionary boil water advisory to ensure the safety of the water pending acceptable water quality sampling results.”
At 3:00 p.m., Greater Cincinnati Water Works said service had been restored at the complex, however, residents we checked in with said their water was still off as of 3:30 p.m.
