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April Robie shows rust damage on her sink, which appears to be from the water. Rust rings also appear around her bathtub and toilet.
A message from the park manager reads, "I can not control the condition of the water in your home. I suggest you get a filter installed. I am with in (sic) the requirements of VT state law."
Brown water streams out of the faucet with visible contaminants.
In April Robie's home, brown water streams out of the faucet with visible particles in it.
Being without water has left the family unable to do their dishes for days.
Water that was just poured from the family's kitchen sink.
David Robie shows a glass with tap water from his kitchen sink, which appears brown and contaminated with visible particles.
April Robie shows rust damage on her sink, which appears to be from the water. Rust rings also appear around her bathtub and toilet.
A message from the park manager reads, "I can not control the condition of the water in your home. I suggest you get a filter installed. I am with in (sic) the requirements of VT state law."
Brown water streams out of the faucet with visible contaminants.
In April Robie's home, brown water streams out of the faucet with visible particles in it.
Being without water has left the family unable to do their dishes for days.
Water that was just poured from the family's kitchen sink.
David Robie shows a glass with tap water from his kitchen sink, which appears brown and contaminated with visible particles.
POWNAL — Some residents of a Pownal mobile home park said Thursday they were without water for three days this week, and were notified when the water was restored that they are required to boil it for use until further notice.
And, they said, problems with the water go back years.
Pownal Estates Mobile Home Park residents April and David Robie and April’s mother, Cindy Marcoux, have lived in the park for about three years. They said Thursday that the water in the mobile home park has been unreliable since they moved in.
“This is not new,” said April Robie, referring to this week’s outage, caused by problems with the pumphouse. “We can’t wash white clothes here and never have been able to.”
David Robie held up the family’s white tank tops, towels and bed sheets that were stained a light brown or tan color. The family believes rust in the water is affecting its color and causing the stains.
Robie held up a glass filled with tap water, and brown particles littered the bottom.
“Can’t boil that away,” he said.
Water had been turned off at the park in recent days but was restored by Thursday.
Marcoux said once the water was turned back on, it smelled like urine. Because of the quality of water, she was unable to keep her home as clean as she would like. She is unable to effectively do laundry, dishes or clean the floors.
Marcoux said the family pets — a turtle, cat and dog — all drink water from a natural spring up the road. The one time they tried to fill the turtle’s tank with tap water, April said there was a ring of rust around the tank.
In a text message from Laurie Commerford, park property manager, April Robie was told to install a water filter.
“I cannot control the condition of the water in your home … I am with in (sic) the requirements of VT state law with the water conditions,” the text read.
April Robie said this was the fourth time the water has been shut off to her home since she moved there. After some repairs in the pumphouse, the water was turned back on, but the water coming out of the faucets is visibly discolored.
On Wednesday, the residents of the park were delivered one case of water and a flier that said, “BOIL YOUR TAP WATER BEFORE USING.”
The flier goes on to say the water “may become contaminated on the way to the tap.” It suggests that residents use boiled or bottled water “until further notice.” The boil order will be in place until the proper maintenance and repairs can be done, but the flier does not provide a timeline.
Commerford told the Banner on Thursday, “We’ve had no further calls after the well company replaced the [well] pump.”
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