300 tenants in London highrise told to share 3 showers until hot water issues fixed

Nearly 300 tenants in a London high rise have to share just three showers until the hot water heater in their building is fixed. 

Residents at 700 King Street East, a building owned by Medallion Corporation, said the water turned cold last Thursday. By the next day, they said there was no water at all.

"I think this is the tenth or twelfth time we are facing the hot water issue," said Pardeep Singh, who lives with his wife and brother in a two-bedroom apartment on the 21st floor. "Imagine 300 residents going to three [showers]."

Medallion has a history of complaints from tenants about water shortages, as well as cockroaches. The Toronto-based company also owns a building on Lyle Street where a toddler fell to her death through a gap in the balcony.

Singh showed CBC News a letter sent to tenants on Monday instructing them to call security when they wanted to shower or bathe in an available suite. 

"This option is available for your use 24 hours/day, until such time as the hot water boiler installation is complete and the hot water restored to the building," the company wrote in the email.

In another email sent May 11, the setup for showering was more detailed, with tenants told two bathrooms were available in one unit. A second unit had one shower inside. Tenants were to lock the doors when using the shower.

"Shower curtains are in place — please use them properly to avoid water on the bathroom floor."

In an emailed statement to CBC, Medallion CEO George Espinola confirmed tenants began to have issues with hot water on Wednesday.

"We immediately started repairs that allowed us to temporarily restore water on Thursday and over the weekend, but it became apparent that we needed to replace the two boilers," wrote Espinola. 

He added that the only temporary solution at the time was "24/7 access of washrooms with showers that we had available in vacant suites in the adjacent tower."

"To install the replacements, we had to shut off the hot water for two days. It was restored on Tuesday evening," Espinola wrote.

Singh said despite that promise, the water was still cold on Tuesday.

"It's like freezing cold water," said Singh. "So even if I have to use it, it's like as if I'm just having ice cube in my hand."

Singh and his family have travelled to Burlington to his brother's house to shower, and he has been using the washrooms at his office, he said. 

Past water disruptions

It's not the first time Singh has had to deal with water issues in his building. For a week in February 2023, he said residents from the tenth to the 24th floor lived without hot water until it ran out altogether.

"All the residents made complaints," Singh said. "That was not what we were expecting because we are paying management fees. We are paying everything."

Medallion has apologized to tenants for this recent issue, saying that it is working to expedite the repair work. 

"Again, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you, and we thank you for your continued patience while we work towards getting this resolved," Medallion management wrote.