Water outages frustrate some Floyd County residents

FLOYD COUNTY, Va. – Imagine a 30-mile round trip just to take a shower. That’s the reality for some Floyd County residents dealing with water outages.

The water at Virginia Homes at Bent Mountain in Copper Hill has been out since at least Dec. 1, and residents are fed up.

“It’s been real difficult because here recently with the snow we haven’t been able to get some days to take showers so we’ve just been sitting here in the house and there’s nothing we can do about it,” said Brenda Neal, who has lived in the park since last year.

Neal showed 10 News the dry faucets and plumbing issues around her home.

A series of broken pumps and water main breaks have led to the issues, according to residents.

But repairs are on hold as Floyd County has issued a stop-work order because contractors did not have proper permits and for other issues.

A Floyd County building inspector was at the park Tuesday going door to door to hand out condemnation notices, declaring the homes unfit for human occupancy or use. Unless the situation is resolved, the residents will have to be out by March 1.

Neal said her family has already identified a place to move, but the costs of dealing with the water outage are adding up.

“We’re ready to go as soon as we can get out of here,” Neal said.

A property manager for Neal’s home and others at the park told 10 News he’s done everything he can to advocate for tenants and help with the situation, including offering rent rebates and hotel reimbursement. He’s also provided several large water bottles for his tenants.

But responsibility for the repairs lies with the owners of the park, he said. 10 News is working on tracking them down for a response.