East Hampton family remains without water

EAST HAMPTON, Conn. (WTNH) -- A local landlord said the water would be back on Friday night. It's now Tuesday and the water's still not working for one East Hampton family.

"It takes us an hour just to do like four dishes," said Katie Hall.

News 8 returned to the East Hampton home which still has no water, and no new water pump. Hall says the landlord took out the broken pump Friday.

"They said they would be back Friday night with a new water pump and they never showed up," Hall said.

"So it's empty down there," asked News 8's Tina Detelj.

"It's empty, yeah," Hall replied.

"And you have no water at your house," Detelj asked.

"No water and it's been 12 days today," Hall said.

Hall called News 8 after getting nowhere with her landlord Lena Ruitto.

"She says she's gonna evict us because we won't buy a new pump," Hall said.

That eviction notice came Saturday saying they haven't been paying their rent. Hall showed News 8 a receipt showing they are paid up to August 24th. She thinks the landlord just doesn't want to fix the pump. For now her family uses a neighbor's hose, while her sister and brother had to go to a relative's house to shower before school.

Not only does the house have no water, but the bathroom doesn't have a sink. It fell off the wall a few months ago.

News 8 went to the Chatham Health District where we learned an order was issued Friday giving the landlord until Tuesday to restore water.

News 8 went back to the house to find Ruitto and her maintenance man.

"The pump is definitely working, it's brand new," said Ruitto.

"Oh you put one in that's brand new," asked Detelj.

"Yeah, but it's not going through the lines, we want to know why," Ruitto said.

Ruitto went to get more help, but before she left we also asked about that missing sink. She insists the tenants are the problem.

"They have not been paying and they are doing everything," Ruitto said. "They took the toilets out."

"I saw you've got your back or we got your back, so I figured I'd email you," said Hall.

"And we did come by," said Detelj.

"Yup, the next day you called me," Hall said.

And News 8 will keep calling until we get answers.