I don't usually write updates to reviews, but 1 is probably warranted here. My initial rating was…read moremediocre, but I've had some recent experiences that justify raising the stars from 3 to 5
My problems with them in the past have stemmed from the fact that they could never seem to get it that I live in a condo community, and the association is the entity that can allow them ingress to the meters in the back of the building, which are kept behind a locked door. I used to get constant calls from them saying I had to be present at a specific time (usually when I had to work) so I could open the door for them when the meter had to be updated or replaced. I told them I didn't have a key, the association has the key, but no matter how many times I repeated this, it didn't seem to penetrate. Thankfully, mercifully, I don't get those calls anymore.
About 6 months ago, I awoke bleary eyed, semi-comatose, depressed by that dream I had had that was a bad 1, even though I couldn't remember it. My 1st act (after attending to...ahem!..."nature's call") is to put water into the kettle and then putting the kettle on the stove so I can make my 1st cup of coffee, which is absolutely essential. After that 1st cup, the world doesn't seem quite as horrible or sad as it did when I first awakened. By the 2nd cup, I'm as prepared as I'll ever be to leave the safety of my "man-cave" sanctuary and face the trials and tribulations of daily life in these United States (and, by extension, the world).
On this particular morning, about 6 months ago, I turned on the faucet, and... nothing. I freaked into immediate wakefulness. Went into my bathroom, turned on the spigot by the tub, and... nothing.
Look, I lived through Hurricane Sandy, and Covid. I can live without toilet paper (not well, but I can live), or disinfectant, or a box of rice, or liquid hand soap, but...WATER?!?
I tried calling American Water and got the mechanical voice which maddeningly asked me for phone nbrs that they "didn't have a record for," to account nbrs that I couldn't remember and hadn't written down, and my "freaked-out" state escalated with lightning speed to a state of frenzy. No water means no coffee, no shower, no toilet.
I called the handyman who works for my condo association, a nice guy whose phone nbr I have handy. He responded quickly, but he had no answers to my dilemma. He called American Water. In 10 minutes, a young man (wish I had gotten his name) pulled up outside. He went to the back of the building, unlocked the meter room, and quickly determined the problem. One of their people had come out to deal with an issue another resident was having, and inadvertently hit the switch on my meter, shutting off the water to my place. Problem quickly solved, and within a few minutes, I was drinking that 1st heavenly cup of coffee.
Last week, during a very hot day, I was suffering from a particularly bad migraine, and the medication I take to deal with it had nauseated me more so than usual. At about 7pm, though, I was feeling somewhat better and had downed a quick dinner. Outside, I could hear the sounds of trucks and machinery, but this is not an especially unique or noteworthy sound where I live. However, when I went to wash my dishes and my hands...no water. Looking out my window, I saw the trucks and machinery about a block away.
I called American Water and again went through the "Death of a Thousand Cuts" torture of dealing with an automated "customer service" rep that never seemed to understand anything I was trying to say. Finally, I hung up, went to the American Water website on my laptop, and punched in my geographic area. It explained there had been a water main break in my area, crews were working to restore service and would probably be at it until approximately 2am. I washed my hands with the bottle of distilled water I keep for my CPAP machine (which I rarely use, but that's another issue), took my Unisom, and went to bed.
I managed to sleep for a few hours but at 3:30 am, I woke up and could still hear the crew hard at it outside. I didn't sleep well for what remained of the night, but...when I went to make coffee that next morning, there was water coming from the tap. The shower ran. The toilet flushed. The washing machine washed clothes.
So, their phone customer service (or lack thereof) aside, they've been responsive and effective in restoring the water when the tap has shut down, for whatever reason(s) lately.
So... Kudos to them. A job (jobs) well done.
