Residents of a public housing complex in Perth, Australia, are describing their living conditions as "third world" after a burst water pipe left them without running water for several days. The 13 tenants in the apartment blocks on Lefroy Road in Beaconsfield, southeast Perth, have experienced issues with water pressure for the past month, but the supply completely ceased on Friday when a pipe burst.
Since Friday, the only water source available to residents has been a single outdoor tap. This lack of running water means occupants cannot flush toilets, shower, wash dishes or clothes, or easily access drinking water. Laurence Mather, a resident, reported seeing another tenant drinking from a bird bath.
"They're leaving their tenants in animal like conditions, third world conditions. They must have some legal obligation to relocate people," Mather told 9News. Another resident, Ian Fegan, called the situation a "living hell."
The Western Australia government stated that a water pressure issue at the building was addressed earlier in the week, and contractors returned on Saturday to investigate further complications. The social housing on Lefroy Street is slated for demolition next year as part of a redevelopment plan.
Residents have requested emergency accommodation while the water issue is resolved. Western Australia Premier Roger Cook apologized for the "inconvenience" but stated that the residents would not be moved. "We apologise for those people who are inconvenienced by this situation," he said. "We have teams on the ground, and they will resolve the situation as quickly as possible."
When pressed on the matter, Cook reiterated his apology for the inconvenience, attributing the problem to "older infrastructure" and "bigger infrastructure issues there around leakage."
Opposition leader Basil Zempilas criticized Cook's response, calling it "a complete failure of basic human dignity." He argued that the Premier's characterization of the situation as an "inconvenience" demonstrated a lack of empathy and highlighted the government's failure to address the problem before it escalated.
