There has been no cold water in the bathroom in the apartment in the center of Riga for more than 10 years, the whole house must agree on repairs / Article

“4.studijas” viewer Irene, who lives in Riga, on Brīvības Street, has been fighting for more than ten years to ensure that not only hot, but also cold water flows through the tap at her home. Problems with the cold water supply started already in 2013. Irene said that there was still water for a little while, but since 2018, 2019 there is no cold water in the bathroom at all and the toilet is not working either.

“Jāne’s water is from the kitchen. It’s very troublesome for me,” Irene admitted. “The doctor forbade me to take a bath, I must take a shower. And then my caregiver takes a watering can and pours it on me. Then I put on soap, and that’s the only way I can wash.”

The manager of the building is the company “Rīgas namu pārvādārs” (RNP), with whom we have corresponded several times over the years. There have been explanations that such a situation can occur due to wear and tear of water risers. “Rīga building manager” has also sent plumbing repair specialists to the apartment, who have solved the situation from time to time. True, for a very short time.

“I have both cold and warm water in the kitchen. Only the bathtub is too far for me to get there. Every time I have to take the water with a bucket and pour it,” said the senior citizen.

Mrs. Irene has also written to the company “Rīgas ūdas” to make sure whether the pipes that supply water to the house have the necessary pressure.

Sandis Vanzovičs, the senior communication coordinator of SIA “Rīgas ūdes” stated that the company received a request from “Rīgas namu pārvādāt” with the request to check the water pressure already in 2019. At that time, the water pressure even exceeded the required level.

“The next contact was at the end of 2023, when we changed the meter, we also checked the pressure on one of them – everything is also fine. The water pressure up to the house is sufficient. The next question is about the internal networks of the house, which must be solved by the building manager and unfortunately also by the apartment owners themselves ,” explained Vanzovic.

The carer of the elderly woman has visited several apartments to find out if other residents of the building have problems with cold water, but she has not received any answers, because the neighbors change and it is difficult to meet them.

However, as “4.studija” found out, other residents of the building also have complaints, not only in the stairwell where Mrs. Irene lives.

Inita Kabanova, the manager of the house, representative of “Rīga house manager”, said that reports from residents about problems with water pressure have been received for several years. Specialists are said to have “done what they could” to fix it.

“The filters have been changed, the risers have been repaired, but here is the story that with these small works it is still not a long-term solution,” revealed Kabanova.

The building was built at the end of the 70s, and the steel risers, according to the manager, have served their time and need to be replaced. The decision must be made by at least half of the residents of the house, which is difficult because there are many needs.

For one, the basement door seems more important, for another, the roof, for another, water. The building has 135 apartments.

The preliminary estimate of “Riga Building Manager” for this purpose is 70,000 euros. The house savings fund currently has 30,000 euros. “Rīga building manager” explains that the replacement of water risers is not included in the usual house maintenance plan, as they are capital repairs.

“We put as an offer, we invite residents to think about their property together, that the apartment is not their only property, but that they have the same risers, roof and common rooms, but it is hard work,” admitted the director of the RNP Service Assurance Department Yuriy Tukish.

The residents created a “WhatsApp” group, in which they surveyed about 90 apartment residents, some of whom answered that the biggest problem for them – like Mrs. Irene – is the cold water supply. If only hot water flows in the bathroom, it also means unnecessary costs, because you have to pay for heating the water, which later has to be cooled.

Currently, the manager has included the replacement of water risers in the plan as one of the first works to be carried out. But since there are no water supply problems on the first floors, it is expected that the question will arise – why should you pay from the total savings of the house for something that is not relevant to others?

Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Association of Latvian Building Managers and Managers (LNPAA), Ervīns Straupe, stated that the supply of cold water is a “mandatory service”. However, problems with water in the Brīvības iela house cannot be treated as an emergency situation.

“This is a planned repair that the manager should plan in the annual repair work and approach the residents by inviting them to come either to a meeting or by doing a survey. Often we understand that the residents are lazy or they are afraid to make some kind of commitment. In fact, this is the manager’s job,” emphasized Straupe. “The manager must approach each of the residents individually and try to convince them of the need for such a decision.”

At the same time, co-owners should be aware that it is also their responsibility to provide the necessary works in the home, so the residents should come together to decide on the work and financing.

“The financing comes from the savings of the house; or it is possible for the co-owners to come to an agreement, for example, by contacting “Altuma”, where there are programs not only for warming, but also for carrying out repairs,” suggested Straupe.