Boil water notice still in effect for Shell Creek RV community

A boil water notice is still in effect for the Shell Creek RV community.

Mike Pettigrew has spent the last four nights in a motel. Not because he’s on vacation, but because he still doesn’t have clean water.

“We’re back on the old well, and we have to boil all the water,” Pettigrew said.

Neighbors told WINK News on Monday that they didn’t have water. Shell Creek residents demonstrated how they brought buckets to a nearby pond (or any body of water) to get water to flush their toilets.

Their running water came back Monday night, but the community remains on a boil water notice. The water is still not safe to bathe in, wash dishes or drink.

Pettigrew said this problem is not new. The only constant when it comes to his water is the lack of it.

“They put this new water system in about…maybe three years ago, four…It’s been down pretty much more than it’s been up ever since they put it in,” Pettigrew said.

Sun Outdoors, a Michigan-based company that owns Shell Creek, said a technical issue in the system caused the lack of water, and they are working to resolve it. Neighbors say they’re worried it’s just another band-aid.

Diann Jenner, another resident of Shell Creek, doesn’t believe anything will ever be resolved.

“I have been bathing in it. But I’m not comfortable about it,” Jenner said.

Jenner told WINK News these issues have been going on for years. Most of her neighbors are at a loss for what to do. In a 55 and up community where people come to retire, moving isn’t a great option, either.

“It’s just another line. They say this all the time, ‘Well, this has happened, but we got it, we’re on it, we’re gonna get it fixed right away.’ And they don’t,” Jenner said.