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'It's ridiculous!': Palatka woman's home has been without running water since Christmas

“I’m paying for water, but I’m not getting it."

A Palatka woman is fed up with the city and her landlord. 

According to Katie Johnson, she and her husband have been without running water since the week of Christmas.

“I’m paying for water, but I’m not getting it," Johnson said.

Since the week of Christmas, Katie Johnson has not seen a drop of water come from her kitchen sink. 

“I noticed that there was a leak out her in my yard," she said.

Johnson contacted the City of Palatka. She said the city came out, sucked up the water and told her there was not a leak, but Johnson said the yard continued to show otherwise. Crews came out again.

“When they came out they figured they had to put another meter out here and when they put another meter out here, they bust something under my house, the pipes under my house," she said.

The city said they would repair the leak up to the sidewalk, according to Johnson and the water was shut off in the process. Overflow into the backyard, however, was her responsibility. She reached out to her landlord Dec. 19.

“He sent somebody out, but I guess he couldn’t fix it," Johnson said.

On Dec. 23, Johnson was sent a message telling her, they’re waiting on the plumber and on Dec. 26, the quote. 

On Monday, Johnson was told it’s been difficult with the holidays and weekend to find qualified people for the job.

Since Dec. 19, she and her husband have been filling up buckets from the outside hose.

She has at least five buckets, which are often filled up twice a day for dishes, showers and general cleaning.

Johnson said while she can get water flowing when she turns on the outside pump, it then fills up her back yard.

“You know I’ve been to the city and I’ve called my rent man, so what can I do?' she said. "I can’t do nothing, I don’t want to be living in here with no water. I feel like I’m being treated wrong for no reason." 

Johnson said her landlord is expecting to send out another plumber Friday to fix the issue, but after two weeks, it’s hardly soon enough.

“Look at all the long time I’ve been waiting, this is ridiculous, because I’m the one that has to live in this," she said.

First Coast News reached out to the city of Palatka and the landlord and did not hear back by our deadline. City Hall was closed in observation of the New Year's holiday. 


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