OKC family says they haven't had hot water in weeks after reported gas leak left without solution

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - A metro family says they haven't had hot water since mid-August, so the only way for a warm bath is to boil pots of water for almost an hour.

Annie Medico said she and her family have been without hot water since August 19.

Medico has two 3-year-old children.

She told KFOR to give them a warm bath, she has to fill up four pots of water and boil them.

"We just have to spend about 45 minutes every night or every other night, boiling pots and pots of hot water, taking it down the hallway to get a bath going for them," stated Medico.

Medico's stove is electric, so she's thankfully able to still utilize it.

Medico said Oklahoma Natural Gas (ONG) told her there was a minor gas leak causing her lack of hot water.

"We initially were told 7 to 10 days and then we were told 2 to 3 weeks, max - and we're at five weeks now," added Medico.

According to Medico, the torch was passed to a variety of departments, claiming ONG stated the first line of defense would be to get a plumbing company out there.

However, the timeline of someone showing up to Medico's house allegedly got pushed back week after week.

"It's just the lack of communication on when things are going to get done. Nobody calls you back. Nobody shows up when they're supposed to," explained Medico.

A plumbing company did show up to Medico's house shortly before News 4 did.

One of the plumbers told KFOR off camera that because they can't get their equipment to the back of Medico's property, they're having to physically dig up her backyard to get a hold of the gas line.

The plumber said they'd have to dig down to their knees.

According to that same plumber, Medico and her neighbor's gas lines were not properly installed, claiming they're too close to one another.

He also said they've determined Medico isn't the only one with a gas leak, that at least two other homes have the same issue.

Once the plumbing crew is done, they allegedly told Medico the job would be passed back to ONG to put her home on 'some type of list at some point.'

"They're unsure if they can even finish today. They may have to come back on Monday. And so he said, 'You're looking at later next week at the earliest to get it back on,'" said Medico.

So now, Medico is looking at spending another weekend without hot water.

"I have children that have been sick and, you know, they caught that nasty stomach flu, the stomach bug that's been going around. And this past weekend, you know, they're sick, they've thrown up, they want a bath. I'm like, 'Okay, but I need 45 minutes to get it ready for you.' That's unacceptable. I think about people who may not have the resources of other family in town or being able to shower at their office or elderly people who just don't have the time to call or, you know, can't boil hot water," said Medico.

Medico is hoping ONG will take another look at their process and reevaluate how to handle a situation like hers.

KFOR did reach out to ONG and they replied, "While we aren’t able to provide details at this point since it’s an ongoing project, we can confirm we are working on the necessary repairs. "

Lizaimee Steger with ONG said crews have been out Friday and are expected to be back at Medico's house Saturday.

Although Medico said she hasn't had hot water nor used any gas in her home since August 19, ONG has auto-drafted over $70 from her account for her monthly bill.

News 4 spoke with Steger over the phone and asked why someone would still receive a bill in a situation like Medico's where she claims she has been without gas or hot water in over a month.

Steger said there may be something else hooked up to Medico's gas line causing a usage charge.

She added ONG does charge a "regular service fee" even if "it's not on."

Steger suggested if any customer is having troubles with either their bill or their gas line to call ONG immediately so they can take a look.