HOUSTON – Can you imagine trying to take a cold shower on a 100-degree day in Houston and all you get is a sprinkle of water from a shower head that just spits at you?
This is what Lauren Guidry, her daughter and her neighbors on Beverly Hill Street on Houston’s southwest side have had to put up with for close to a month.
”You get up in the morning to brush your teeth, barely have a smidgeon of water coming out of the faucet. It’s crazy,” Lauren said.
For Khan Bo, who also lives on the southwest side of town, said even washing dishes takes him forever. KPRC 2 talked to him as he was watching a trickle of water fall from his kitchen sink faucet onto the plates he was trying to wash.
”Yeah, I’m frustrated because at times you feel like you need the water pressure and it’s not there. You just want to take a shower but it takes you forever cause of the water,” Khan said.
KPRC 2 Investigates received multiple complaints from Houstonians who say their water pressure has been almost non-existent for three to four weeks now.
The Houston Public Works Department said it’s a combination of the searing hot temperatures and no rainfall that has damaged water mains and led to multiple breaks.
That combined with a higher-than-average water demand from people taking more showers and just trying to cool off, helped create the problem.
Public Works released the following statement regarding the issue:
“The intense heat and drop in annual rainfall have dried up the soil, causing a shift in water lines. When the pipes shift, the pipe joints can break, causing water leaks. The aging, brittle water lines are also more susceptible to failure. Houston Public Works is monitoring the water system closely. The demand on the system continues to increase due to customers using more water and increased water leaks.”