Residents of the building between 177th and 178th streets on Fort Washington Avenue woke up to cold apartments and freezing showers on Monday.
Later in the night, workers descended into head-deep holes to patch together a fast-faltering water main.
Even though the DEP says the work was scheduled, that was news to most residents.
It made for a rough day for Carmen Cordero who is disabled and hadn't stocked up on bottled water. She was frustrated when she couldn't get any information.
"I called the super and he said to me there is a big problem outside and they're trying to find where the problem is and they have shut the water," she said.
By late evening, workers had turned the water on again and the heating systems churned once more.
Workers also filled up the hole on Fort Washington Avenue.
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