Families handling heat without water

SPENCERVILLE, Ind. (WANE) - When the power went out last Friday, some members of the community didn’t just lose electricity but also their water source.

Patty Baum is one of 109 Indiana Michigan Power customers living in the rural Allen County town of Spencerville who have been told not to expect restored service until Saturday, July 7.

All of the households in the area receive water through wells which are powered by electricity.

The storm forced an unwelcome step into a primitive world for Baum and her neighbors.  She has acknowledged her community is not alone in its woes of handling unbearable heat during the outages; however the lack of water adds salt to the wound, Baum said.

The household has relied on water from a nearby pond to run toilets.  Cases of bottled water are stacked in the family’s kitchen while the piles of dirty laundry and dishes grow.

Pam Perkins has lived in Spencerville for 45 years.  Her home is two miles from Baum.  Perkins said she has experienced this situation in the past but not for as long as anticipated.