BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Tenants of The Forge apartment complex on Broadway Street in Buffalo experienced low water pressure or no running water at all on Thursday, after building management failed to pay its water bills, despite multiple notices.
"Everybody was coming outside the apartments asking if something was wrong with their water, and of course everybody had the same thing - no water was coming out," resident Tabitha Parker said.
Nicole Banks could not wash her baby granddaughter's bottles.
"Woke up, the pressure was low. By the time I spoke to my neighbors, they said water was off," Nicole said.
Several residents told me a shut-off notice was posted on the building's door earlier that day.
WATCH: Buffalo apartment without water after company failed to pay water bills
The building is managed by KMG Prestige, which recently took over from Corvus Property Intelligence. Many residents had been calling KMG Prestige all morning with no response. The receptionist's office was vacant and locked when tenants were looking for help, something they say is 'the norm.'
"It usually takes them 24 to 48 hours to call us back," Nicole said.
Regional Property Manager for KMG Prestige, Aisling Sullivan, arrived at the building on Thursday and said the company had paid some of the money owed to Buffalo Water.
"We're waiting for the water company to turn things back on," Sullivan said. "They didn't notify us they were turning it off, so this was a bit of a surprise to us."
But Buffalo Water Board Chair Brian A. Gould said the owners and building have been sent plenty of notifications about money owed to Buffalo Water.
Building owners, The Forge LLC, are more than $37,000 in arrears, according to Gould. He said Buffalo Water received no payment or contact from owners or any management company since July 2025. Since then, Buffalo Water sent 13 monthly past-due bills electronically to the owners and by mail to the building, along with six separate notices prompting them to join a payment plan or have their water shut off as part of Buffalo Water's arrears capture program. That program has gathered $9 million in money owed since mid-February, according to Gould.
"At 10:45 today [Thursday], they made a payment of $9,253.75, and a work order was approved to put back in service," Gould wrote in a text message.
A resident said water service was restored at approximately 3 p.m.
The Forge is in the Ellicott District, represented by Common Councilmember Leah Halton-Pope. She released this statement:
“I am beyond frustrated that residents at The Forge were left without water because of the reported non-payment of more than $33,000. There is no excuse for this. Access to running water is a basic human necessity, and failing to provide it is unacceptable. The people who live at The Forge are seniors, people with disabilities, individuals with mobility challenges, working families and residents from every walk of life. They pay rent expecting safe, habitable housing. They should never bear the consequences of an owner’s failure to meet basic obligations. This is not an isolated incident. For nearly three years, my office has responded to complaints about conditions at The Forge. I have met with multiple property managers and with ownership. Yet serious issues keep recurring. I recognize that a new management company has recently taken over, and I am prepared to give them an opportunity to improve conditions. But let’s be clear, ownership remains responsible. A change in management does not erase years of recurring problems. Enough is enough. Fix these problems. Meet your obligations. Treat your tenants with dignity. If this pattern continues expect increased public scrutiny and every available level of accountability. My priority is, and will continue to be, the health, safety, and quality of life of my constituents."
