NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. – Residents at a Nassau County apartment complex say ongoing water issues have disrupted their daily lives, forcing some to take extreme measures to ensure they have clean water.
At the Marsh Cove and Somerset apartment complex, water outages followed by boil water notices have become a regular occurrence.
One resident, an 88-year-old woman, has developed a meticulous system to ensure she has clean water.
“Everyone thinks I’m an alcoholic,” she joked, showing rows of boiled water stored in wine glasses and containers throughout her home.
She has been boiling water since she moved in three years ago, using it for drinking, bathing, and washing dishes.
“We have to keep healthy,” she added.
Residents have received multiple boil water notices from property management over the past year.
Notices were issued in January for a water pipe break, in May due to an electrical issue caused by a storm, and again in September, October, and twice this month. These frequent interruptions have left many residents frustrated.
Jennifer Duff, who has lived in the complex for two years, described the situation as “not very fun at all” and “frustrating.” She noted that the water issues often occur without timely notification. “There’ve been times where I used the water, and we’ve been on a boil water notice, and I haven’t noticed until I checked my email,” she said.
When News4JAX visited the property’s management office, staff directed him to Alexander Properties Group, which owns the complex.
A representative attributed the latest water issues to a damaged circuit board caused by a hurricane.
“They are getting another circuit board and [it] should be fixed by the middle of next week,” the representative said. However, they declined to comment on past water problems.
Duff acknowledged the complex’s attractive location but said the recurring water issues and the added expense of buying bottled water have made living there increasingly unaffordable.
“I’m not going to hold my breath,” Duff told News4JAX after she heard the response from the property management group saying they’ll fix the problem by next week.