News 5 began asking questions about residents at Euclid Apartments on Tungsten Road going without water for days after a viewer reached out with concerns.
Paula, who didn’t want her face shown on camera, invited me into her home, where she said, to her surprise, there was no water running from faucets over the weekend.
“When I came home to wash the dishes, and stuff like that, the water wasn’t on,” Paula said.
Shawna asked that her face not be shown and said she also experienced the days-long water outage.
“We were just thinking it was going to be that day but they never cut it back on,” Shawna said.
The women said the situation created many inconveniences. They weren’t able to fully cook or bathe efficiently.
Paula said it also required extra steps, like purchasing water to pour into the toilet tank so it could be flushed.
“So you called the apartment complex to ask what was going on. What did they tell you?” I asked Paula.
“She told me that they were taking care of it. And I asked her again did she know how long it was going to take for them to do that and she said she just kept saying ‘we’re working on it,'” Paula said.
Wednesday afternoon, the water returned to Paula and Shawna’s units. Paula, however, was in the process of filling her tub with water.
“Because in case they turn the water off again… just so I’ll be able to flush the toilet,” Paula said.
Wednesday afternoon, I called Nord Group, A private equity real estate investment and management firm that owns Euclid Apartments, to get answers about the water loss. The person who answered the phone said managers were unavailable and my message would be passed on to them.
I also went to the apartment’s local office on Euclid Avenue, but the main doors were locked, and no one answered the phone.
“They don’t even let people in… like it’s hard to even get into the office or get in contact with somebody sometimes,” Shawna said.
When I went to Euclid City Hall, the housing manager in the building and housing department told me to expect a statement from the city and 3rd Ward Councilman Dontea Gresham.
Gresham’s emailed statement said,
27660 Tungsten tenants… were notified that water would be off in their building until the end of today. The boiler broke down and parts were ordered. Water needed to be shut off to make the necessary repairs that again should be completed by the end of the day. Water will not be hot immediately.
Euclid City Councilman Dontea Gresham
I asked Gresham in a follow-up email how residents were notified, how long the water was off and if any accommodations were made for impacted renters.
Gresham, via email, said the previous statement “is the only statement I am prepared to share.”
Paula and Shawna said they were never notified about the water disruption or boiler repairs.
“So a level of one to 10 frustration level where are you at?” I asked Shawna.
“Probably like a nine… 10. Kind of just over it,” Shawna responded.
We Follow Through
Want us to continue to follow through on a story? Let us know.
link