LEWES, Del. - A Lewes homeowner says she went days without running water during last week’s freezing temperatures, raising concerns about how the situation was handled and whether it could happen again.
Ann Stanton, who has lived in her home for years without previous water issues, says her water stopped working Friday as temperatures dropped. She spent the weekend contacting property management, utilities and plumbers in an effort to get the problem fixed.
“I can’t count. I really can’t,” Stanton said. “I know it started Friday, and it didn’t end until this morning.”
SeaScape Property Management says action was taken Friday and Saturday, including work performed by Tidewater Utilities. According to the company, Tidewater flushed the water line, replaced an underground water meter and returned Saturday for additional flushing. The issue was later believed to be located inside the home’s riser closet, which would require a plumber to repair.
Stanton said the outage forced her to rely on friends and neighbors for basic needs.
“We brought in gallons and gallons of water,” she said. “Some of my friends brought over buckets.”
Property management says the home is outside its warranty period and that multiple plumbers were contacted, but availability was limited due to the timing and weather conditions. The company confirmed water service was restored Monday morning.
Despite the restoration, Stanton says she has not received a clear explanation for the outage and worries it could happen again as winter continues.
“We still have winter left,” she said. “It makes me nervous that I’m going to be without water again.”
Despite the restoration, Stanton says she has not received a clear explanation for why the outage lasted through the weekend. She also says there should be an emergency phone number available to residents when essential services like water are disrupted.
Fire officials say they have responded to multiple reports of burst pipes in the community during the recent cold snap. At least two residents have also reported being without heat in recent days.
SeaScape Property Management says it acted as quickly as possible given the circumstances and the involvement of multiple parties.