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LAS CRUCES - Residents across Las Cruces say they remain without water, well over a week since last week's chill. While the 30,000 customers served by Las Cruces Utilities never lost water during the arctic cold front, many complexes with their own water systems are still waiting for services from private plumbers.
But it's not just the loss of water, it's the lack of communication that's the most maddening, said residents at Madrid Manor, 202. W. Madrid Ave., and Dove Canyon, 3815 S. Main St.
When Christina Melendrez turned on the main spigot outside her RV at Dove Canyon on Wednesday afternoon, a small burst of water came out - maybe enough to fill a coffee mug. But it quickly turned into a trickle, a thread, then just a drip.
"The day that it started snowing, on the 2nd, it got cut," Melendrez said. "If we flush, we've had to get gallon water bottles (for it to work). It got so bad we went to Pic Quik or friends and family members. (At Pic Quik) they would say, 'It's clean! Go on back!' They were really nice about it."
Eric Lopez, interim administrator of the Las Cruces Utilities Water Service, said the only residents in Las Cruces who still lack water had frozen, burst pipes and are waiting on private plumbers.
"The water from Las Cruces Utilities is fully available and safe," he wrote. "Mobile home parks including Alameda Acres Mobile Home Park and Dove Canyon Mobile Home Park own and operate their own water systems, although we provide backup services in
At Dove Canyon, the whole park has been without steady water for more than a week now, Melendrez said, with no communication from the manager. On Wednesday, though someone was clearly visible through one of the park office's windows, no one answered the door. A hand-written sign next to the door advised, "Call Roto-Rooter 524-1911 if your water breaks we at Dove Canyon are not responsible."
Melendrez can understand the park not being responsible if pipes inside someone's RV break - but no water?
"My brother and sister-in-law (who also live at the park) had a little girl, but they don't even have water to give her a bath," she said. "She was telling me yesterday, 'Chris, the water only comes up to here! It doesn't even cover my behind!' If you're having problems, at least let people know you're working on it, that you're trying to do something about it."
The episode has Melendrez thinking about relocating.
"If (the manager) left a note on our doors or informed us, we wouldn't be upset," she said.
The same frustrating story could be heard at Madrid Manor, where resident Robert Farr said the water has been off for more than a week with zero communication to residents. (A phone number to the apartment offices was disconnected when called Wednesday afternoon.)
"(It's) about a week's worth of not having water, no showers, dishes piled up," Farr said. "Outside, there's water everywhere and some apartments, their roofs have fallen in. It's been pretty hectic. A couple of them were occupied."
Farr says the entire complex is without water.
"We were actually going to friends' houses to take showers and brush our teeth," he said. "I would go into restaurants to use the bathroom if I had to. It's sad. We have a 2-year-old girl. She cries constantly because she sees other people taking showers and we're not able to."
When he's asked workers around the complex, Farr said they tell him "they're doing everything they can."
"But I don't see it happening," he said.
Residents said they haven't even been offered a moderate discount on this month's rent - something to mitigate the effects of being without basic utilities for a fourth of the month.
"It's really difficult, especially having the baby there," Farr said. "We go to the store every couple days to buy water bottles just to brush our teeth at the house. I wish (management) were giving me more information on how things are going. Let me know a time or date it would be back ... They're not giving us any information or anything."
Ashley Meeks can be reached at (575) 541-5462.
