Woman Without Water For Nearly 2 Weeks As PWSA Looks For Problem

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – A local woman battling cancer has also been battling her water company for nearly two weeks.

"I have two battles," said Doris Henn of Millvale. "One with cancer and one with the water company and I'm in the middle of the battle with cancer and I feel like I'm losing."

It's been 11 days since Henn had running water. Henn showed us where Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority crews have been looking for the problem around her property.

The PWSA is providing bottled water to Henn, in addition to concerned friends and neighbors.

"But it takes nine bottles just to flush my toilet and it's disgusting," she said, "and then to take a sponge bath, it takes almost the two cases that they bring."

A caretaker helps her back inside where she finds some comfort in the companionship of her dogs and a friend to help her through the trying time.

Crews were on site Monday, three blocks down from her home on Evergreen Avenue, digging for a leak. There was also a crew at East Ohio and Lincoln in Millvale installing a valve.

A spokesperson explained that the PWSA acquired the Millvale system in 2009 – an old system with small water mains, some of which were installed too shallow above the frost line and that they're working on this problem, as well as other problems to update the system.

All Doris Henn knows is that these last days have been torture.

"I promised my grand kids that I would fight this battle with cancer and now to deal with the water, it makes me want to just throw my hands up in the air and just lay down and die," she said.

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