Elderly Woman Copes Without Water For Three Days
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Days without running water left an elderly Chicago woman desperate from some help.
Neighbors believe the problem may have been caused by city contractors.
From the bathroom to the kitchen, 93-year-old Josefina Casillas lived three days this week without running water.
"Here is the bucket we have been using," Alex Casillas, Josefina's son, said.
She and her son used the buckets to at least bring water into their Bucktown house.
"You don't realize how much you need water in the house until you don't have it," Alex Casillas said.
The water problems actually began last winter, after city contractors installed a smart meter outside.
Soon, a leak formed. Water froze and thawed. Calls and visits to city departments and the alderman's office were made.
Nothing was done.
"We are not talking about six hours [but] six months," said a neighbor, Marcin Siwek.
Once CBS 2 called, crews arrived to fix the problem.
Ald. Scott Waguespack said a two-day turnaround for no water is pretty prompt.
He is now focused on the reason for the leak in the first place.