NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Residents at Capitol Towers have been living without hot water or elevator access for almost 10 days after a massive water main break flooded the building's lower levels.
The incident began on March 28 when a major water main break shut down James Robertson Parkway. For more than three hours, water surged down the hill and into the Capitol Towers' lower levels and garage.
"I was woken up at 1:30 by the alarm sounding basically saying please evacuate the building," Jada Cooke said.
Cooke moved her car in time, but other vehicles got stuck in the muddy remains.
"The water did not go off until about 3-3:30," Cooke said.
Now, she and her neighbors are living without basic amenities.
"It’s a doozy because now we’re having to do what they did back in the day and boil water," Cooke said.
Metro Water said the repair process took time. A first responder confirmed the break, and other utilities had to mark their underground lines before Metro Water could make the repair. The size of the main, the severity of the break, and the slope of the hill made the process more challenging than most.
Residents able to walk down the multiple flights of stairs said that without help, someone else could get hurt. David Cranford, who retired after 25 years as a firefighter, said the current living conditions are not safe.
"We couldn’t even get to this area where we’re standing right now; there was so much mud and everything," Cranford said.
"What concerns me the most is that there are a lot of elderly living here," Cranford said.
"There are a lot of people willing to help and trying to bring them things, but in the situation of an emergency, a fire, there’s no feasible way for them to get in or out of this building," Cranford said.
The building manager said their help is limited because they are no longer with the homeowners association. The association recently sent letters recommending that residents move out for their health and safety, or contact the Red Cross for assistance.
Cranford said relocating is just not physically or financially possible for some of the older neighbors.
"My main concern is for their safety and safety of others, but no one‘s reaching out to us," Cranford said.
"And no one is taking ownership of their behavior," Cranford said.
"It’s a good building, but it has some code violations, I think, that need to be addressed. This just adds to that dilemma," Cranford said.
The building's owners are due in General Session Court in June to answer for multiple code violations. Those violations state that the exterior is in disrepair and the parking area does not have adequate drainage.
I reached out to the owner and building manager, but they did not respond in time for this story.
This story was reported on-air by journalist Amanda Roberts and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
