RIVERVIEW, Mich. (XYZ) — What’s going on with the water? Residents in one Riverview apartment complex say they’ve had to endure water shut-offs for months. And then, when the water is working, they say it’s not fit to drink.
Watch Heather's full investigation below:
Residents have been documenting brown, discolored water, as well as sediment that collects in their sinks and tubs. They say they’re already regularly dealing with low water pressure.
Watch: Robert shared this video of the water after turning on his sink
Those are just some of the problems Robert Bangs says he and his girlfriend Dawn Sample have had to endure at the Huntington House apartments in Riverview.
“We feel like we’re prisoners in our own homes,” said Bangs.
Bangs says he and his neighbors have faced water interruptions on and off since last July, ever since the 129-unit complex was sold and Essential Property Management took over.
“At first, they told us they were doing emergency leak repairs and stuff. I was getting emails, emergency repair, emergency repair,” said Bangs. “And then they gave us a notice that they’re shutting the water off.”
After months of intermittent water shutoffs, Bangs says residents were told their water would be turned off several times a week starting March 5, 2025.
“It’s been a living nightmare. They’re cutting water off Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 am to 5 pm at night, and sometimes it’s going to 6 o’clock,” said Bangs.
While the property managers brought in two porta-potties for residents in the complex to use during those 8-hour-long shutoffs, Bangs says Sample is a cancer survivor and can’t use them due to potential germ exposure.
“It’s affecting our everyday lives… and causing major stress,” said Bangs. “It’s just always, what’s going to happen? Can we go home and take a shower? Can we use water? And they even did it on Christmas. Christmas Day we’re in here trying to cook and prepare meals.”
While they were enduring repeated shutoffs, Bangs says as part of his new lease, he suddenly had to pay around $90 a month for water and sewer charges – utilities that he says were often not functional.
“I’ve tried to talk to the office, like, ‘look you guys are upgrading stuff – don’t make people pay for water when you’re cutting the water off on them.’ That makes no sense,” said Bangs.
So he started digging into what was going on, having neighbors sign a petition, requesting master water bills from the city, and asking workers at the apartment complex about the plumbing project.
“How bad is the pipe?” Bangs asked one of the plumbers while they were working on the project in March.
“It’s just corroded all on the inside, there’s like barely any pressure,” said the plumber, who was not identified in Bangs' recording. “There’s so much s*** inside these pipes.”
Bangs says he repeatedly contacted the property management office to ask for accommodation for Sample because of her health issues, and to get answers about the rising bills and frequent shutoffs. When Bangs discovered Essential Property Management’s phone number was disconnected, he contacted the 7 Investigators.
“I wanted to bring my story to you so you can investigate and find out what is going on, and please try to help us,” Bangs told 7 Investigator Heather Catallo.
Since the corporate phone number wasn’t working, we paid a visit to Essential Property Management’s office in Farmington.
The 7 Investigators were referred to their CEO, who originally agreed to an interview, but later cancelled it. They fixed their phone number after we pointed out that it wasn’t working, and their CEO later met with Bangs.
“All repairs have been appropriately permitted through the City’s building department and have been undertaken incrementally, with advance notice and controlled, short-term water shut-offs provided to residents. We are pleased to be making these necessary improvements, especially given our involvement with this property only began in July 2024,” said CEO Todd Rodgers in a statement.
Meanwhile, Bangs says he thinks residents should be reimbursed for all the days they could not use their kitchens and bathrooms. He also says he wishes someone had provided filters for them because they still occasionally have discolored water, and the repairs are not yet completed.
“It’s just a shame when you try to live your normal life and you can’t because they’re cutting out your basic necessities that you should have,” said Bangs.
When it comes to resident complaints about the new water billing, the CEO of Essential Property Management said in a statement: “Residents are billed based on actual water usage, as reflected in bills issued by the City and in accordance with the terms of their leases. Any resident with questions or concerns is encouraged to contact our management office directly.”
If you have a story for Heather Catallo please email her at hcatallo@wxyz.com