‘Like rotten eggs’: Residents of Orange County apartment complex avoid using smelly water

People living in one Orange County apartment complex say they avoid using their water because of its pungent smell.

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Channel 9 first reported about the smelly water at the Clarcona Groves Apartment Complex in May 2023.

At the time, the property management company mailed a letter to residents, saying they were aware of a plumbing issue and were working to fix it.

While the smell disappeared for a while, the resident said the foul “rotten eggs” smell was returning with a vengeance.

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Some people living at the complex told Channel 9 they try to take short showers, boil their water, or buy water bottles because they don’t trust the water quality.

Some residents have also noted discoloration; one sent Channel 9 a video showing black water spurting out of their shower head.

“We don’t know what the problem is. It just smells bad like rotten eggs and they tell us to leave it on and open for half an hour, but that doesn’t make a difference,” said one resident.

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Channel 9 spoke with a representative for the Clarcona Groves Apartment on Thursday.

Channel 9 asked the representative what they were doing to address the issue and how they tried to resolve the problem in the past.

However, that representative declined to provide any information on record.

Meanwhile, a county spokesperson told Channel 9 that even though Orange County Utilities provides water to the master meter, they do not control or oversee the apartment complex’s water distribution system.

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The spokesperson told Channel 9 that they had received and investigated the residents’ complaints about the water.

“The investigations reveal that Orange County’s side of the system meets all requirements and that the apartment complex may need to take steps to fix any water quality issues,” said the spokesperson for Orange County.

According to the county, in response to complaints county staff has made recommendation for action the management company can take including getting advice from the property management’s plumber and engineer.

The property management company would not comment on the record about whether it was taking any of those steps.

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