Charleston, South Carolina – Several public housing dwellers have gone a week without flowing water.
The Charleston Housing Authority told several blocks in the Eastside Public Housing community on October 1 that their water would be turned off, but did not say how long. Jackson Street, Harris Street, and Hanover Street have all been impacted.
After days of uncertainty, some neighbors are now getting their water back to normal, but others cannot.
“This is ludicrous. It’s ridiculous. It is. It doesn’t make sense that we’re living like way. Eunice Samuels, an impacted resident, says, “It’s as if they’re treating us like animals.”
Samuels and several of her neighbors have been without running water since last week, resulting in toilets that don’t flush and faucets with low water pressure.
“I’ve purchased bottled water to drink. And everyone asked, “Why don’t you use that to wash?” No, that is for me to drink. I am not drinking the water from this faucet. “This is what I’m going to drink from the bottle,” Samuels says.
Vernon Graham, the Charleston Housing Authority’s Public Information Officer, stated that this is the result of an 80-year-old pipe bursting.
“We sincerely regret to our residents for the inconvenience they are experiencing. “We, too, are experiencing inconvenience in our own offices as a result of the water main break,” Graham explains.
Samuels explained to the inhabitants that this is more than simply an annoyance; it is a health issue from which they cannot escape after work.
“You don’t live at the office. We reside here. When you leave here, you go home. You have water for washing, doing dishes, and cooking. “We can’t do anything,” Samuels states.
“Even though I put on deodorant and stuff, I’m walking around like okay I’m good for another hour too when it starts getting real bad because it’s hot,” says the girl.
Graham said they can’t guarantee a completion date for repairs.
“They appeared to be alright until they failed. And when they did, we informed the residents as soon as we learned of the situation,” Graham added.
Meanwhile, the South Carolina Tenant Union has distributed gallons of water and information to impacted households, which Samuels and neighbors claim the housing authority is not doing.
Graham recommends you to contact the appropriate property management to discuss the available choices.
“I would advise any badly impacted resident to contact their property manager, and we will not leave any options on the table. We have all possibilities for resolving their situation. “I would ask them to contact the property manager directly,” Graham advised.
