Action 13 helps 86-year-old woman resolve months-long water leak within 24 hours
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Less than 24 hours after turning to Action 13, an 86-year-old woman's months-long water leak issue was resolved.
On Tuesday, Margaret Jones called Action 13 after a water leak back in December turned into an ongoing problem.
It hasn't rained for days in the 7700 block of Rhobell Street in Houston. However, you wouldn't know it looking at what's running in front of Jones' street.
"I'm just tired now," Jones said on Tuesday. "At my age, 86 years old. So, I'm calling Channel 13, and that's what I did."
In November, Jones recalled spotting the leak, saying it looked a lot different five months ago.
Now, not only has the amount of leaking water grown, but it has also brought sediment and mold.
Records show Jones contacted the city about the leak in early December. City records show the leak was active as of Tuesday.
ABC13 contacted public works Tuesday afternoon, and by noon on Wednesday, the leak was fixed.
"I'll call you back and tell you, 'Jesus, bless you.' I sure will," Jones said. "I'll say a prayer for Channel 13, 'God, take care of Channel 13 and don't ever let them go off the air."
Public Works is resolving water leaks more frequently. Mayor John Whitmire said he appointed a new public works director five months ago to tackle water leaks.
311 data shows how big of a problem leaks are. Over the last 12 months, it was the top 311 service call with more than 35,000 received.
The next highest was missed garbage. Twelve weeks ago, water leak was still the top service call.
However, over the last four weeks, missed garbage has become the top 311 complaint.
In the past, Public Works has told ABC13 that it prioritizes water leak repairs based on the size of the issue and what the leak is impacting.
If the leak gets worse, Public Works said to call 311 again and let them know.
PREVIOUS REPORT: 86-year-old northeast Houston woman waits on months-long leak to be repaired: 'I'm just tired now'
For updates on this story, follow Nick Natario on Facebook, X and Instagram.
