La Quinta woman wants locks taken off spigots so water can flow once again
It’s a “call for help” from an 89-year-old La Quinta woman. She says she is not allowed to use the hose at the apartment where she lives. CBS Local 2 “Stands for You”, so Tom Tucker looked into her complaint, and contacted the property manager looking for answers.
Elaine Wagg shares her one bedroom apartment with her dog Marley at the “Seasons at Miraflores” low-income, senior apartment complex in La Quinta. For the most part she is comfortable.
Except for one thing: a lock on the outside spigot prevents her from using her hose.
“I want them to come take off all the locks so we can use the water again,” said Wagg.
The great grandmother, who has lived at the complex since 2006, says the locks were placed on all the spigots at the apartment complex by the property owner, Long Beach-based, non-profit LINC Housing, which owns dozens of low-income housing properites throughout California.
Not being able to use the hose, Wagg says makes it more difficult to clean the outside of her windows, and to water her plants on the walkway.
Instead, she says she has to use watering cans and buckets provided by the complex.
“This has been going on for over a year, and there are elderly people in here that have no business carrying water from their sinks because they can hardly walk,” said Wagg.
A represenative for LINC Housing tells us all the water used by all tenants at the complex is billed as a single account.
We are also told the locks were put in place last May, after the Coachella Valley Water District fined the property owner, because “four to five” tenants were accused of violating district water use restrictions. Things like “washing down driveways, sidewalks and other hardscape”.
CVWD’s water use restrictions remain in effect.
CVWD issued three fines against LINC, but the agency was not required to pay, after taking steps to educate the senior residents about water conservation and after locking the spigots.
But, wagg says its unfair that all tenants should be punished because of the actions of a few.
“I’m just mad. I’m mad because they shouldn’t do this to us,” said Wagg.
We contacted the property owner on behalf of Elaine Wagg, asking if there is anything that can be done to take the locks off the spigots, and get the water flowing once again.
LINC Housing’s Asset Manager Ken Ebilane responded with a written statement.
“We recognize that it’s an inconvenience for residents not to have access to the spigots in the common areas of the property. After three citations from the Coachella Valley Water District, management needed to take action to ensure that water use was reduced and that residents weren’t hosing down walkways, patios and patio furniture, which is prohibited by the water district. Because the water district’s customer of record is the property – not the individual residents, it is the property management’s responsibility to ensure the mandated water-use restrictions are followed.
Property management first tried resident education as a means to reduce water use and to remind residents of the restrictions, but then the third citation arrived. Since the spigots in the common spaces are mainly used to water personal plants and hose down hardscapes and patios, it was decided to lock the spigots and then provide easy-to-carry watering cans to those residents who want to maintain outdoor plants. This action was reported to the water district to show our efforts to comply with the restrictions.
Property management has apologized to residents for the inconvenience and has worked to be as helpful as possible to those residents who want to water their plants. Hopefully we’ll have another rainy winter and the Coachella Valley Water District will lift the restrictions. Until then, we’ll continue to do our part to assist in conserving this precious natural resource,” wrote Ebilane.
“As far as I know, from Jerry Brown, the governor, he said the drought was lifted,” said Wagg.
We also contacted La Quinta City Manager Peter Spevacek who provided a written statement.
“I was not aware of this situation. The City Housing Authority does not own this property; instead, LINC and its partners own this complex and LINC operates it. The City’s role was to invest capital so that this complex could be built and offer affordable rents to senior households. The operations are the LINC’s purview and the City’s operating requirements are basically the property must be maintained to high standards (as outlined in the affordable housing agreement the City has with LINC) and the rents must be affordable to very low, low and moderate income senior households. LINC establishes the other operating requirements and procedures. They were selected for this development because of their history of owning and operating quality affordable senior complexes.
To your specific question regarding a City policy on locks on exterior spigots, the City does not have a policy; the reason is this is the first time this issue has surfaced during the 22 years that the City has invested in affordable housing development. If this becomes a growing concern, then the City Housing Authority may need to address this situation,” wrote Spevacek.
So, for now, there may not be much else Wagg can do, other than hope and pray for more rain, and the cancellation of water use restrictions.
“We’re all being inconvenienced for a few,” said Wagg.
On April 7th, Governor Jerry Brown ended the drought state of emergency in most of California, while keeping in place water reporting requriements and probitions on wasteful practices.
More: I-Team and Stands for You investigations
Find us on Facebook: KESQ News Channel 3 & CBS Local 2
Follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates: @KESQ & @Local2
We’re on Instagram! @KESQ_News_Channel_3 & @CBSLocal2
Noticias en español: Telemundo 15
