Pittsburgh man gets early holiday present after reaching out to Channel 11

PITTSBURGH — A Pittsburgh man called Channel 11, desperately seeking help after a massive leak outside of his Garfield home prevented him from safely getting around in his wheelchair.

PREVIOUS STORY >> Local man says valve leak in Garfield alley causing “hazardous situation”

Since our story aired, he has gotten results.

“My frustration carried on for like 4-5 months,” said Jayvan Tarver of Garfield.

Jayvan Tarver’s frustration at navigating his wheelchair over a leaking alley has come to an end. He is breathing a sigh of relief today looking at the dry space. In fact, he’s calling it an early Christmas gift.

“I believe it’s a blessing. Ya know, it’s a gift to me also, but it’s a blessing for all the neighbors,” said Tarver.

That blessing came in the form of repairs from PWSA.

Water has been shut off, and he can now safely get out of his Garfield home after crews replaced a leaking valve.

Channel 11 first introduced you to Tarver back on December 10.

Local man says valve leak in Garfield alley causing “hazardous situation”

The longtime Garfield resident was experiencing some serious issues with a non-stop leaking valve. Gallons of water had been streaming out around the clock for months along Shamrock Way, outside of his Hillcrest Street home.

Struggling with neuropathy in his legs — he and his brother both rely on wheelchairs.

The area was becoming extremely dangerous for them, icing over as temperatures dropped in recent weeks. His basement, he says, was on the verge of taking on water.

“This was a bad leak here. This wasn’t the first time I had a water leak,” said Tarver.

After the story aired on Channel 11, PWSA came out days later and made repairs. A PWSA spokesperson sent this statement to Channel 11:

“We appreciate the concerns of Mr. Tarver regarding the valve leak, and are grateful for the timely response of our dedicated field crews and friends at Duquesne Light. Throughout the winter, we will continue to mitigate the added safety risk of freezing weather in terms of water leaks via repairs and the use of our salt trucks. Customers are encouraged to reach out to our 24/7 Dispatch at 412-255-2423 to report any water or sewer emergencies.”

Tarver says he’s eternally grateful to the companies and is encouraging other folks to reach out for help too.

“I wanna thank Channel 11 for even putting the idea in mind that things needed to be done,” said Tarver.