Ten days after a major water main burst on March 28, tenants at Capitol Towers say they still do not have hot water or working elevators. Many older residents are hauling themselves up flights of stairs and boiling water just to get through daily routines. Neighbors say flooding from the break rushed into the building’s lower levels and garage, trapping vehicles and knocking out key mechanical systems.
Metro Water crews responded to a rupture on James Robertson Parkway and worked through the day to tackle the damaged line. The 12-inch main was repaired, and the roadway reopened after roughly 13 hours of work, according to WSMV. Residents say that while the street was back in business by the end of the day, the inside of their building has lagged far behind, with some units still without hot water and elevators remaining out of service.
Witnesses described alarms and a chaotic early-morning evacuation as the flooding unfolded. Jada Cooke told reporters she was jolted awake by an alarm and that the water did not shut off until the early morning hours, according to NewsChannel 5. Retired firefighter David Cranford warned that the current conditions "are not safe" for many older neighbors in the building. The same report notes that other underground utilities had to be located and marked before crews could dig, a step that added to the delay in completing full repairs.
Why Repairs Are Taking So Long
Officials and the city’s customer pages say a mix of factors, including the size of the ruptured main, the steep slope at the site, and the need to steer clear of other underground lines, made this excavation and repair more complicated than a routine break. According to Metro Water Services, the outage map keeps active breaks visible until service is fully restored, and more complex jobs can take many hours. When flooding hits building systems, they add, an extra stretch of time is often needed before everything in affected properties is back online. For Capitol Towers residents still seeing no hot water or elevator service, Metro Water lists a 24/7 hotline and an outage map where customers can track active incidents and restoration work.
Code Citations, HOA Warnings and a June Court Date
Residents say the homeowners association has sent letters advising people to relocate or to contact the Red Cross for assistance while the building recovers. At the same time, the property’s owners are scheduled to appear in General Sessions Court in June to answer multiple code-violation complaints that allege the exterior is in disrepair and the parking area lacks adequate drainage, NewsChannel 5 reported. Tenants say that for many of their neighbors, especially those with limited income or mobility, simply packing up and moving is not a realistic option.
Where To Report Problems And Find Help
Tenants looking for service updates can call Metro Water Services at 615-862-4600 or check the city’s online outage map to see active repairs and restoration status. To report suspected property standards or code violations, residents can turn to Metro Codes and Building Safety’s complaint tools and the hubNashville portal, where the department posts inspection contacts, complaint forms, and guidance on local property standards.
For now, Capitol Towers residents are improvising around broken systems while municipal crews and property owners work through repairs and pending enforcement actions. The episode highlights how a single utility failure can quickly snowball into a housing and safety crisis for vulnerable tenants, and the June court date is shaping up as one of the next key checkpoints for accountability.
