Wednesday night the city and the apartment complex owners were at odds. The city may take legal action to get the water flowing again.
For nearly a week the only source of water at the Vassar Apartments near Blackstone and Clinton has been the pool in the middle of the complex.
One resident, Francine Guerrero says, "I've been taking the pool water and washing my dishes and flushing my toilet with it."
Francine Guerrero has been paying $565 in rent and the water is included. But the landlord hasn't been paying the water bill.
Last Thursday the city cut the water off.
Francine Guerrero asks, "So what kind of deal is this? Do I get any kind of money back on my rent? "
The owner of the complex, Warren Yamaguchi, who lives in Santa Clara said Wednesday he takes full responsibility for the water problem. He owes the city of Fresno $12,000 in overdue water bills.
He said, "I'm not going to make it current immediately, but I can pay $1100 as of last Friday that's all I had." "I've been trying to work on it, they know I've been trying to work on it."
Yamaguchi said he planned to have half his debt or $6,000 paid off by Friday.
No one from the city was willing to respond on camera but a spokesperson told us by phone they would not turn the water back on until Mr. Yamaguchi paid half the $12,000 bill.
A representative from Central California Legal Services told us he believes the city didn't give the residents proper notice of a cutoff.
Chris Schneider said, "We are going to be demanding that the city restore the services whether or not Mr. Yamaguchi comes in and pays the bill immediately."
If Mr. Yamaguchi pays up by Friday, the complex should have its water back on immediately. If not and the legal challenge goes forward it's anybody's guess as to when these residents will have water flowing again.
