REGINA - A Regina condo owner is calling for action after she and other people residing at Sunset Towers have been dealing with a lack of consistent hot water for months.
The condo owner, who wished to remain anonymous, said this issue started around the new year.
"At the time, we had no hot water nor heat, and it was -30 C outside," she said.
The owner noted that hot water is a basic necessity for living. A report by the federal government noted that Canadians, on average, use 75 litres of hot water at their home daily for washing dishes, taking showers, hygiene and more.
"It’s a health concern and a sanitation issue," she mentioned.
From the lack of hot water, the condo owner said they’ve had to take baths at family members' homes.
"I shouldn’t have to explore other options to take a shower, like at a gas station," she said.
After raising concerns with W Management, who runs Sunset Towers, the condo owner said they gave "excuses."
"I was told the outside temperature impacts the hot water in the building, or people using portable dishwashers were wasting hot water."
She noted the words from W Management didn’t add up because this was never an issue beforehand.
Other residents of the property started telling her they were dealing with no hot water, but were worried about speaking out on the matter.
Despite constantly raising concerns, the condo owner said the communication between her, W Management, and their condo board has been "less than stellar."
SaskToday reached out to W Management for a response, and property manager Kristin Greenway acknowledged they are working on resolving the issue.
Greenway noted they’ve heard from three to four people regarding the lack of hot water and said the issue is "unacceptable."
"If it’s unacceptable, she should have been looking into it [more]," said the condo owner.
Greenway also mentioned they hadn’t heard multiple concerns raised at the beginning, which led to W Management believing there wasn’t a serious issue.
"I don't think it should matter how many people raised the issue. They should have considered this concern after only one complaint," said the condo owner.
While moving is an option, the condo owner believes people who have paid off their property shouldn’t have to leave because of an issue.
She also stressed many of these condo owners are elderly people who cannot move out easily.
There is no timetable for when the hot water issue will be resolved, noted Greenway.
Going forward, the condo owner said W Management should keep everyone in the loop.
She also believes the condo board needs to have monthly meetings so any owner can have a chance to speak.
