Imagine going days, even weeks, without access to running water. For residents of Evergreen Whispering Pines in Midland County, Michigan, this isn’t a hypothetical scenario—it’s their harsh reality. But here’s where it gets even more frustrating: while some are left scrambling for basic necessities, the blame game between residents and management is heating up, leaving everyone wondering who’s really at fault.
Shana Bradford, a resident of the mobile home park, sums it up bluntly: “We just want water. That’s it. We want water.” For Bradford and her neighbors, the only source of running water comes from melting icicles outside—a makeshift solution that’s been their lifeline for nearly two weeks. “It’s not just about me,” she adds. “I work in a kitchen, so hygiene is non-negotiable. I have to shower daily, and my two boys? Well, you know how kids can be—they need showers too, especially when they’re running around all day.”
The inconvenience doesn’t stop there. Bradford has been forced to drive her large truck to her mom’s place near Bullock Creek High School just to shower, racking up gas expenses in the process. “It’s not just the cost,” she explains. “It’s the time, the effort, and the sheer frustration of it all.”
And this is the part most people miss: despite repeated pleas to management, residents claim they’ve been met with silence. “I’ve tried everything,” Bradford says. “I even called the United Way to get us some water for flushing toilets and drinking. But from management? Nothing.”
When we visited the property office, it was deserted—no answers, no solutions, just an empty space. Other residents echo Bradford’s frustration, adding that management is shifting the blame onto them, claiming they failed to insulate their water lines properly. Bradford disputes this, showing us the heat tape and insulation beneath her home. “My house is kept at 74 degrees,” she insists. “I’ve done everything I can on my end.”
Here’s where it gets controversial: an email from the office manager of Water District #1 of Midland County, dated January 16, suggests the park itself is to blame. According to the email, the park failed to upgrade its water lines when connecting to city water, despite being advised to do so. The manager claims the State and attorneys have concluded the issue lies within the park’s infrastructure.
But Bradford isn’t buying it. “Even one day without water is too much,” she says. “We’re well past that, and people are starting to feel desperate.”
We reached out to the owners of Evergreen Whispering Pines, Evergreen Equity GP LLC in Pittsburgh, for comment but have yet to receive a response.
This situation raises a critical question: Who should be held accountable when basic necessities like water become a luxury? Is it the residents, the park management, or the broader system that allowed this to happen? What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments—this is a conversation that needs to be had.
In the meantime, the residents of Evergreen Whispering Pines are left waiting, hoping for a solution that seems increasingly out of reach. For updates on this story and more, subscribe to the WNEM TV5 newsletter at https://www.wnem.com/newsletter/.
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