71 year old widowed Los Angeles home owner has no running water. survives on 50 gallons a week

[Liberal_in_LA]

s Tillman got a jump on the rest of us when it comes to water conservation.

The 71-year-old South Los Angeles homeowner had no choice.

Last August, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power shut off the church-going widow's water service because Mrs. Tillman had fallen behind on her payments after a series of setbacks. She lost her job as a delivery driver, her leaky pipes left her with a $7,000 plumbing bill she's still paying off, and her Social Security check wasn't covering her expenses.

The things we take for granted — flushing the toilet, running a bath, washing the dishes — all became additional challenges for Mrs. Tillman. But she's learned to improvise.

"I'm going to write a book on how to survive in L.A. without water," Mrs. Tillman told me as she demonstrated how she hoists the five-gallon water jugs she fills at a nearby water machine.

She bent over, tilted one of the heavy jugs and rolled it along the floor of her living room toward the kitchen.

"Let's say I wanted to put this one on the kitchen sink," said Mrs. Tillman. She then squatted like a sprinter in the starting blocks, raised one knee, and hoisted the jug onto it with a grunt.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0524-lopez-doris-20150524-column.html#navtype=barker&barkername=Barker%2002%20-%20Featured%20Columist

[yeoman6987]

1. Wow. Impressive.

As much as saving water is great and I am for it. I hope never to have to go that far in saving water.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

2. Saw this, too

Count on Steve Lopez to report on people like Mrs. Tillman. And count on heaven only knows how many people get in touch with him to ask how they can directly help her.

KICKIN'

[dembotoz]

14. I hope so. but damnit it should not happen in the first place

Helping her out makes you feel all warm and comfy

Preventing yhizs from happening again is harder

[Mnemosyne]

3. I'm not understanding what her going to church has to do with it. Is she more deserving of better

because of it? Why hasn't her church stepped up to help then?

I am hoping she gets help simply because she's a human being in need.

[dbackjon]

8. That jumped out at me as well

Just look at the Duggars. Plenty a very evil people go to church. In many were the people don't. Her churchgoing habits are not relevant to the story

[NaturalHigh]

11. A story about a woman with no running water...

and what jumps out at you is that she goes to church? Seriously?

[Bluenorthwest]

15. No, what jumps out is that her church going is seen as important information in this context.

The author is letting us know she's 'better' than others because she's part of a group that allows their elders to suffer profoundly or something like that.

[Mnemosyne]

21. Must be she didn't go to the 'right' church. Sickening. nt

[raccoon]

12. Doncha know, in the US if you go to church, that means that

you're a good, deserving person?

Definitely that's the meme in my area, I'm afraid.

[Mnemosyne]

20. My area also. Love, INC (In the Name of Christ) offered me a discount when my fridge died,

$50 off a $200 frig. If I'd had the money would have bought one myself used. They wanted my ss number for even that! Told them to shove their help.

I have no patience, nor tolerance, for those that hide behind their god.

[riderinthestorm]

17. I read it as a slam on the church for not helping her

Conservatives like to tout private resources like a person's church to help the poor.

We know that's bullshit.

I read that bit as a direct slam on the conservative trope.

[Mnemosyne]

19. Hadn't considered that, thanks! nt

[appalachiablue]

4. What a strong, heroic woman still determined after setbacks, pipe leaks & authorities who

cut off her water when she got behind in payments. Maybe a gofundme account could help her out.

[Liberal_in_LA]

22. I bet she got scammed on that $7k plumbing bill

[appalachiablue]

23. Definitely, and the water co. should have made an adjustment- racket. They know darn well

this happens frequently and how the tab runs up quickly from running water. We had it in a guest bath, never heard anything; only found out when a repair man noticed. It was about $200 in a couple weeks at most, more than 10 years ago. Nasty, unfair situation and to hold her accountable for that kind of money...

[hunter]

25. I'm certain, in one way or another.

It's sad she didn't have anyone to help her out before this started.

Everyone needs to be part of a community that includes a few honest plumbers, car mechanics, and that sort, or at the very least neighbors who would give water to an older widow.

U.S.A. society is so isolating. Big predatory corporations like it that way.

[appalachiablue]

30. Alone, older & esp. female in this country is very isolating & risky, & truthfully it's usually

like that most places except if you're lucky enough to have some decent neighbors & local contacts. It's why her church was brought up I think, to indicate that she has some ties; as the old saying goes, 'it's either the tavern or the church', the only social outlets in too many cases. Posters read the church reference wrong IMO and went berserk over it. (Maybe she doesn't belong to one of those awful bigoted congregations but a nice one. How do we know?). There's instances of predatory abuse and violence against widows in India, medieval Germany and even contemporary US I can think of but will hold off here.

[PRB]

5. No person should have to live this way.

This is appalling. Good god the woman is 71 years old. Where is the heart? Absent. If someone can't pay their bill, then there needs to be a public assistance system. You are GUARANTEED a certain number of gallons even if you can't pay your bill immediately. You have to flush your toilet. You have to wash your clothes. You have to wash your dishes. You have to brush your teeth. You have to wash your hands. With all that, it is really a public health issue. The affordable health care act is nothing with this kind of prevention. This assistance needs to be codified at some level.

[appalachiablue]

24. Agree totally, this is outrageous and purely predatory on the vulnerable, as strong as this

lady is. Makes my blood boil. Water cos. know this happens frequently and the tab runs up fast, they could have made an adjustment- unbelievable. We had it happen once, never heard a thing since it was a guest bath until a repair man there noticed it. $200 for maybe two weeks, 10 years ago-

[Spitfire of ATJ]

6. Shower with a friend.

[lostnfound]

16. That can take longer...

[SoapBox]

7. DWP is a criminal organization and should be taken over and cleaned out.

They make our blood boil!

[villager]

27. They are indeed a model of everything wrong with a monopoly

Their quasi-public status seems to be the worst of all worlds: No real competition, and yet they don't really "serve" the public...

[appalachiablue]

31. +1 You said it- vampire monopolies.

[pansypoo53219]

9. when i was a kid. our cottage had no running water. except walking up pails at a time from the lake.

boiled water for cooking & dishes. pail water for washing hands. of course, a spring fed lake. old timey water jugs w/ milwaukee water for drinking. lake water was awesome for hair washing.

[NaturalHigh]

10. Everyone should have the right to clean running water.

It's a moral crime for the district to shut off her water, IMO.

[Vinca]

13. You'd think the woman was in a third world country.

This is shameful. Water is needed for human existence and should never be cut off for lack of funds.

[awoke_in_2003]

29. Well, we are no longer first world...

The only first world thing we have is the military.

[appalachiablue]

33. +1

[appalachiablue]

32. Third world is right-

[sorefeet]

18. Wait until Nestle owns

IT ALL. Many won't be able to afford it.

[hunter]

26. I give that much water to the wild birds around here.

When I think about all the very wealthy people in Los Angeles county with acres of chemically saturated lawns and lush tropical landscaping, I can't help but be angry.

[Orrex]

28. The big question to ask is: does this compromise the supply of fracking water?