KDKA Investigates: Youth Football Team Practicing Without Water

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- It's awfully hot to play football but that's the point -- the Southside Bears junior football team has been practicing at Quarry Field all summer without city water.

"I was buying cases of water and cases of water every day so the kids could have water," said Coach Kevin Alton.

There are no working water fountains and there's no water supply to operate the concession stand and the restrooms.

"First I called the permits and they told us to call facilities. And facilities just giving us the runaround," Alton said.

Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter

KDKA's Andy Sheehan contacted the mayor's office and public works director Mike Gable said they were unaware of any requests to the city until this week when the coaches sent them an email -- and the city immediately dispatched crews to the field to restore the water.

What they found was that copper pipes to the fountains, the bathrooms and the underground irrigation system had been stolen. The city brought in portable bathrooms but the job is on hold temporarily until it can get new pipes.

"So we have that stuff on order and hopefully over the weekend our facilities people will be putting that in and get it working again," Gable said.

Whether communications failed to get through the proper channels is not clear but gable says the city will have the field and the entire facility ready in short order.

"We're on it. We're fixing it. So put that one to bed."
.