It’s been a crappy week. I returned from a press trip to Maine on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and immediately got sick. My birthday trip has to be postponed, courtesy of my having to pay my divorce attorney more money. My local birthday plans were canceled thanks to the winter storm of 2026. Now, I’m used to having to adjust birthday plans, as there typically is a winter storm. What I’m not used to is being snowed in while also not having running water for three days simultaneously while parenting my 2-year-old daughter.
I live in Halethorpe/Arbutus, Maryland, which is about 20 minutes from the city of Baltimore and seven minutes from the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Meteorologists projected this snowstorm for at least a week. It was known that in this area, we’d get at least 6-10 inches of snow. I did all of the necessary preparations: stocked up on food, water, wine, and other items to get through the storm. Where I live, there are always issues with power outages, and in the past three years I’ve lived here, there have been at least four water outages.
My townhome community is directly behind the main water supply for the area, which has burst multiple times. The last time was just three weeks ago. Each time there has been a water outage, there has been no communication from the county executive office or the city emergency line, which handles such matters. I’ve always had to contact my leasing office, who would confirm the outage and refer me to direct any additional questions to the Department of Public Works.
The water went off in my townhome on Saturday at around 4 p.m., hours before the first snowfall even began, which makes this situation all the more puzzling. It hasn’t been back on since. There has been no local news coverage about it. After posting about the issue on Facebook and Instagram and tagging Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott, I received some assistance. His office called me, and they are currently trying to assist me with getting a direct contact to the county executive office.
No water means the inability to cook most items; dishes can’t be done. That’s the minimum. Fortunately, I have food that I can pop in the oven and not have to use dishes. Now, let’s get into the weeds of things. Whenever my fully potty-trained 2-year-old releases herself, I have to empty the potty into garbage bags, seal them, and toss them outside. I have been holding in my bowel movements and minimizing what I drink and eat to avoid having to use the restroom. We have been unable to shower or bathe. While I have plenty of drinking water, I’ve used it for the sole purpose of drinking and in case of more emergencies in this situation.
Every time I have called to get an update from the Department of Public Works about when the repair will be complete, I am told the only update they can give is that the pipe is being actively worked on.
Snow days should be filled with binge-watching Netflix, drinking wine, napping, eating all the snacks I spent money on, and nonsense. Instead, we have been transported back to the frontier, and I’m living my life as if I were a character on Little House on the Prairie.
My community has 127 homes that remain without running water. This issue is unacceptable, and we still don’t have an update. What I won’t be doing for the next few months is paying a water bill.
