It was just a week ago (April 1) that we reported on the frustration of several homeowners on Royal Avenue who had been without running water since Feb. 13, and who had been carting jugs of water from a nearby fire hall to keep to fulfill their needs.
The loss of water had been a nightmare and according to one homeowner, Dorothy Wooten at 3421 Royal, City Hall had turned a deaf ear to cries for help from the frustrated residents.
But apparently somebody was listening, even if it wasn't the mayor.
While Councilman Andrew Touma had promised to look into the situation after we contacted him, a power much greater than City Hall intervened and the water suddenly began flowing again to the homes.
The greater power in this case apparently was Mother Nature, as warmer weather thawed what most likely was the cause of the problem: frozen water lines, not too uncommon a problem in Niagara Falls during this bitterly cold and lengthy winter.
"Around 5 o'clock on the day of the story, the water came back on," Ms. Wooten told the Reporter. "It was kind of like a miracle." And that's just what the homeowners needed as City Hall had previously told them it was their problem and to contact a private contractor to get it fixed. Ms. Wooten had explained that a private company wanted $3,000 just to take a look at the problem. Fortunately, in this case, the homeowners waited and Mother Nature saved the day and the budget.
While the immediate problem has been solved, and the water is running again, it is unfortunate that citizens who have lived in an area for as long as Ms. Wooten and her neighbors couldn't have received more than an 'it's your problem' response from City Hall. The question now is what about next year?
Maybe the city will address the vulnerable pipes on Royal Ave. during the warm season so in case of another bad winter, residents won't have to resort to lugging jugs of water from a fire hall to flush their toilets and wash their clothes. Let's hope City Hall is listening.
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