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Kitimat Residents hoping to receive sufficient water pressure

Trailer park occupants worried that the fix will only last so long
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Front view of Kitimat Trailer Court off Columbia Ave in Kitimat B.C. (Jacob Lubberts Photo)

Residents of the Kitimat Trailer Court are frustrated with the lack of water pressure in their homes.

For the last three to four years, residents in the Kitimat Trailer Court, locally known as the small trailer park off Columbia Avenue West have complained the problem has gotten worse and they’re at their wits’ end.

“If you wanted to have a shower, you would have to have one at night when nobody is using the water, even then it was questionable,” said Ray Hepting, resident of Kitimat Trailer Court

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The District of Kitimat said because the water flows through private water infrastructure, tenants need to contact their landlord or property manager.

The park’s property managers, MasterBUILT Hotels, said they had trouble finding the leak due to snow, but have repaired the issue as of March 9.

“And after discussion with some of the residents they have confirmed the water pressure is back to normal,” said a spokesperson.

However, Hepting said the pressure has improved only slightly.

Previously, tenants have taken the matter into their own hands to help one another.

“One guy at the end of the park was going to a trailer at the front of the park with empty buckets, filling them up with water and carrying them back to his trailer,” said Hepting.

Residents are asking why a lack of pressure has been allowed to persist for so many years.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a sinkhole near it,” said Hepting.

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While the property managers feel the matter is resolved for now, residents are still worried that the repairs will only last so long. “They only came here with a crescent wrench so I wonder how things will be in the summertime when we try watering our gardens,” said Hepting. “Hopefully the fire chief comes to check the water because I know in order to fight fires they need X amount of pressure.”

Residents are also asking for anybody to put in a temporary water line to help fix the issue at hand. “All they would have to do is hook onto the current line and run a three-inch/four-inch line on all the back of the trailers, […] it would cost them some money but the problem would be fixed.”


 


jacob.lubberts@northernsentinel.com