Residents complain about city’s response to water calls

WATCH: Sean Mallen reports that the city is bringing in more staff to assist with high volume of frozen pipe calls.

TORONTO – City crews were working Wednesday to get water flowing to nearly 2,000 people whose pipes suddenly went dry over the last few weeks.

But at least two people, who have been without water for several days, said they were a little behind schedule.

Denise Teixera lives near St. Clair Avenue and Dufferin Road. She’s been without water since Sunday and has been hauling buckets of water from her neighbour’s house to do the things she normally took for granted; cleaning, drinking, and doing laundry.

“It was a shock. We always rely on our water and I guess we were taking it for granted. I did a few loads of laundry the day before; you know we use the water all day. Then waking up in the morning, 7 am, to no water, it was a huge shock,” Teixera said. “Then to call 311 and expect 24- to 48-hour turnaround on something, you know, that never really came to fruition is a little shocking.”

READ MORE: What to do if you have frozen pipes at home

Crews showed up at her house Wednesday morning with no warning. According to Teixera, there was no phone call, and repeated calls to 311, she said, were little help.

“But you know just better communication, better idea of what’s going to happen next, what are the next steps, what can we expect. How many days do I need to take off of work?”

WATCH: The real issue behind Toronto’s frozen pipe problem

Kathy Domoney has the same problem. The pipes have been dry at her Northview Avenue home since Family Day.

“We woke up on family day, expecting a nice relaxing day, no water, no toilets, nothing,” she said.

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Her family has been in and out of the home since, spending a few days on a well-timed trip to Chicago and since then, living in a hotel. She returns home everyday to work, but has to spend part of that day melting snow for water.

Again, 311 provided little help, she said.

“I’ve been contacting them and speaking with them and I’ve had a work order since last Monday when I first reported the problem, that they could come within 48 hours, and there’s a lot of people, and no news,” she said. “They haven’t been able to tell me when they’ll come, nothing like that.”

 WATCH: Sean Mallen is at the home of Kathy Domoney, where city crews have finally arrived to fix water pipes frozen since Family Day.

City crews showed up Wednesday morning and began work to clear the frozen city pipe that blocked water from reaching her home and three others on her street.

In both cases, a city pipe on the outside of the home had frozen.

City councillors had different takes on the frozen pipes. Former mayor Rob Ford took the opportunity to criticize his successor, Mayor John Tory:

Coun. Janet Davis suggested the city needs to do a better job communicating with its residents.

WATCH: Jennifer Palisoc talks to Torontonians who have been without water for several days. 

Temperatures in Toronto have been below freezing all month and as a result, Toronto Water has dealt with an above average number of complaints – approximately 2,000 since February 14. Some 300 of these were due to frozen pipes.

Davis said she understands, but believes there could be better communication.

“People have to go to work, they have to know when Toronto Water is going to respond so that they can arrange their lives appropriately,” she said.

“There are too many people who are waiting for calls back, initial calls. And then secondly, to know when Toronto water is actually coming to their property to fix the problem.”

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Tory, City Manager Joe Pennachetti, and Toronto Water General Manager Lou Di Gironimo met Wednesday morning to find a solution.

WATCH: Lou Di Gironimo, General Manager of Toronto Water, spoke with the media about the rash of frozen pipe problems in the city this winter, saying they haven’t seen this volume of frozen pipe issues since the winter of 1993.

“Toronto Water crews are working as hard as they can to respond to the large volume of calls; however, we need more resources to help customers understand what we are dealing with, and when staff will be onsite to investigate each situation,” Tory said in a statement.

As a result of the mayor’s meeting Wednesday, Toronto Water will establish so-called “SWAT teams” to rapidly deal with individual complaints and establish temporary water service while a permanent fix can be found.

– With files from Jennifer Palisoc, Dave Trafford and Sean Mallen