Broken 20" Valve Causes Water Outage At Poe Homes
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The Department of Public Works responded to complaints about water outages at Poe Homes in Baltimore on Thursday, publicly addressing it on Twitter after users complained to city councilmen.
DPW said a contractor in the area is installing a fix for the broken 20" valve that's caused a water outage in the Poe Homes, and that they have staged bottled water for those living in the affected areas to drink, as well as cooking needs and flushing.
They also said they are installing a temporary 6" water supply line for the community.
A Twitter user in the area publicly spoke out about what they believed to be a lack of response from the City, mentioning City Councilman Eric Costello on Twitter, asking why they had been without water since Monday.
Councilman Costello responded asking if anyone had contacted Councilman John Bullock, who represents the area where Poe Homes is located.
The other councilman confirmed this theory, saying there is a water main break in the area.
Baltimore Department of Public Works addressed the issue later Thursday, saying that the contractor in charge had been notified and were working on fixing the issue.
They explained that crews had responded earlier this week to a break in the area, but it wasn't until later this week that the extent of the problem with the failed valve was discovered.
"Some repairs are more complex than others," DPW tweeted.
The water outage has now lasted for over 72 hours. Leslie Ware, President of Poe Homes Tennant Council, said that "it's been extremely difficult."
"Try living without water for four days," she said. "Try telling the children they can't bathe. Try telling the senior citizens they can't flush their toilet."
The Housing Authority of Baltimore (HABC) released a statement on Thursday that said:
"HABC is making all efforts to assist residents at Poe Homes affected by the water pressure problem. As DPW works to repair the problem, we are providing bottled water and we are distributing water directly to our most vulnerable residents; our seniors and disabled. All residents can pick up additional water at the MULTRY Community Center. In addition, HABC engineeers and other staff are on site to coordinate with DPW as needed. HABC will continue our efforts until DPW is able to restore full water pressure."
