BECKLEY, WV (WOAY)- Wildwood House Apartments in Beckley experienced a main water line break around Thursday last week. Residents have been without water to their apartments since Friday till repairs can be done. Many of the residents are elderly or disabled, so this situation has been hard for them.
“We’ve been off five days without water other than the good people bringing water up here for us,” said Robert Thorn, a resident. “But most of these old people here can’t get out here and get in there and get water, let alone the toilet needs and everything else.”
They have looked to local emergency services and good samaritans for help.
“A few outreach sources have come through. We’ve had plenty of people come to bring water. The fire department brought the pool. We have A-1 brought the trailer, it’s like a porta potty, but it’s a trailer. It’s nice and air-conditioned and has music it has a sink, they can wash their hands,” Michelle Elkins, Social worker with Better Tomorrows at Wildwood House Apartments. “We’ve had volunteers come up and help us transport water to the actual apartments. Bodyworks, the YMCA, and the homeless shelter have volunteer showers. If anyone would like to go, the transit is running to take them over, to take showers.”
The pool of water is given by the Prosperity Fire Department but the water itself is not for drinking, it’s actually for the plumbing. Staff say that you need about 3-4 gallons to help properly flush the toilets here. There are some five-gallon buckets of water ready for residents to take up when they need it. However, some residents say that even holding a gallon jug and bringing it to their apartment is a bit too much for them.
Since the break was on the property, Wildwood was responsible for fixing it, not the Beckley Water Company. WOAY spoke with management at the apartment complex… They declined to speak about the issue on camera.
According to residents, there are more issues with the apartments than just this water main break. Many residents said that there were bed bugs, roaches, appliance issues, and structural issues.
“We have bedbugs. They have been spraying for them and they’re not under control,” said James Maynor, President of the Residence Association. “I have not seen any roaches myself, but the bedbugs, are a problem. Some things in other people’s apartments, they’ve been having problems with their appliances, their heat, their air conditioner and they’re [Wildwood House Apartments] supposed to keep up with that.”
This housing is subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which means about once every two years it does get inspected by the federal agency. With this specific water issue, the issue has been resolved and residents are with water now. They want everyone to know that they appreciate the public’s help for this.
