HOUSTON – Residents in a West Houston neighborhood say they spent more than two weeks watching water pour into their streets from broken city pipes — despite repeatedly reporting the leaks through 311.
By the time city crews began addressing the problem, one resident says the water had already created muddy, slick conditions and left a section of sidewalk torn up.
Mary Trapp says she and her neighbors made multiple 311 reports asking the city to repair a burst pipe near their homes.
“The city is wasting resources,” Trapp said. “This is usable water, literally going down the drain.”
Trapp said she was told the work would be completed by Sept. 27.
But the water continued flowing into the neighborhood into October.
“It’s not something you look forward to coming home at the end of the day,” Trapp said.
A second leak
The issue wasn’t limited to one location.
One street over, residents also reported a separate apparent pipe burst that sent more water into the roadway and created pooling water.
As neighbors continued trying to get the city’s attention, KPRC 2 reached out and came to the neighborhood to see what was happening.
City crews then began addressing the leaks.
“It’s frustrating that the only time they’re responsive is when they might look bad,” she said.
Both leaks have since been repaired.
Residents want better communication
For Trapp’s next-door neighbor, Desi Sirakova, the issue goes beyond the repairs themselves.
Sirakova says residents understand the city has a lot of work to handle, but she says neighbors should receive basic updates when they report a problem.
“All you want is to be acknowledged, not just in an app that there is a leak,” Sirakova said.
She says even a phone call or a knock on a neighbor’s door could help residents understand what the city is doing and when they can expect a repair.
“If you don’t have the communication, even if it’s the simple communication back with the community, you don’t have the accountability,” Sirakova said.
Now that both leaks have been repaired, Trapp says she hopes residents won’t have to repeatedly call — or involve KPRC 2 News — to get city crews to address similar problems in the future.
