By Stephen Stirling
One day they had no water, the next they had too much.
Residents of 38-25 Parsons Blvd. in Flushing have been struggling for aqua equilibrium after going without water for four days last week, only to have first-floor apartments flood when it was turned on Saturday.
State Assemblywoman Grace Meng (D-Flushing) paid an emergency visit to the building Saturday afternoon after receiving numerous complaints that the building, which houses several senior citizens, had been without running water since Aug. 18.
Meng said residents had called 311 and lodged complaints with the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development numerous times during last week’s heat wave, but did not receive a response until Meng got involved Friday evening.
“I understand that problems happen, but for people to wait for four days is just unacceptable, especially in the hot weather. You have these senior citizens that are carrying buckets of water from the store in the heat, and it’s just not right,” Meng said. “311 is a great tool, but if it doesn’t provide any solutions, then what’s the point?”
Meng and her staff contacted the city late Friday night and by Saturday morning, water had returned to most of the building.
But there was another problem. Shortly after water service returned, several residents on the first floor had more than an inch of standing water flood their apartments.
“First there was none, now there’s too much,” Meng said. “We walked through a number of the apartments and it just smelled terrible.”
Some residents were wary of the fix as well. On Saturday afternoon, 23-year-old Melinda Roberts lugged a 24-pack of spring water on her shoulders she said was for her grandmother, who lives in the building.
“She can’t carry it herself. She’s afraid the water will go off again,” Roberts said. “The city should act faster. This shouldn’t happen to old people.”
Meng said her office was remaining in contact with the building’s superintendent regarding the situation.
Reach reporter Stephen Stirling by e-mail at sstirling@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 138.
