SAN ANTONIO, TX — Residents at a Northeast Side apartment complex say raw sewage has been running through the parking lot for days, creating what they describe as a dangerous and unsanitary living conditions problem. Tenants at the Palms at 8800 say the issue began Saturday and has gotten worse, with wastewater and toilet paper spreading through an area where children ride bikes and play.
One tenant, Alyssa Gustafson, said she first noticed the smell late Saturday into Sunday morning when she stepped outside. She said the odor was overwhelming and that the sewage has made it hard for families to use the property safely. By Tuesday, tenants said they were still waiting for a full cleanup and a response from management.
Tenants say the sewage spread across the parking lot where children play
Gustafson, who moved into the complex in July, said the wastewater was impossible to ignore once she walked outside. She described a heavy odor and said the mess was not confined to one small spot. Instead, sewage, toilet paper and runoff were visible across the parking lot.
She said the area is used throughout the day by children on bikes and in play, which made the situation especially upsetting. Gustafson said she worries the sewage could get tracked back into apartments and expose children to illness. She said she is pregnant with her second child and feels the condition has become impossible to live with.
A tenant says the complex has not answered emergency repair requests
Gustafson said she contacted the city’s water utility after discovering the problem, but was told it was not a city issue and instead fell under property responsibility. She also submitted an emergency work order through the tenant portal, but said she had not heard back as of Tuesday.
Another resident’s relative, who was visiting his children at the complex and asked not to be named, said a large section of the parking lot flooded over the weekend. He said children who live there have to cross the area on their way to school and that the conditions are unsafe. Both tenants framed the situation as a health concern, not just an inconvenience.
Management did not answer KSAT’s request for comment
When KSAT tried to speak with management Tuesday afternoon, a staff member locked the office door as the crew approached. A maintenance worker on site told the crew that someone was coming to fix the problem, but tenants said they still had not seen a full repair or cleanup by that point.
The Palms at 8800 did not respond to KSAT’s request for comment. That left residents without a clear explanation for what caused the sewage backup, how long repairs would take or when the parking lot would be safe to use again.
Texas landlord law requires a diligent effort to fix health and safety hazards
Texas law generally requires landlords to make a diligent effort to repair conditions that materially affect tenants’ health or safety. In cases like this, tenants said the concern is not only about the smell or the mess but also about the possibility of contamination near homes, walkways and play areas.
Gustafson said she sees no practical way for families to keep using the property normally while sewage remains outside. She said parents should not have to worry about children walking or riding through wastewater on the way in and out of the complex.
Residents say they want the area repaired and cleaned before children return to it
Tenant concerns focused on two things: stopping the sewage flow and cleaning the parking lot thoroughly enough that it is safe again. Residents said the problem has been visible for days, and the longer it continues, the more worried they become about exposure and spread.
Gustafson said the issue has pushed her to think about leaving or seeking legal help because she does not consider the environment healthy for her family. The visiting father said the children who live there should not have to walk through contaminated water every day. For now, tenants said they are waiting for action from the property owner or manager.
More on what homes, rents and new builds are doing near you, on RHS Commoner.
