A woman in Northern Michigan has no water and no answers.
Cheryl Wale lives in St. Louis in Midland County and says she hasn’t had running water for the last three weeks.
“I’m sad, not angry, just sad,” said Cheryl Wale.
In 2019, Cheryl Wale’s nephew David Wale paid for a well installed on her property.
“A well should be like a lifetime, I would think. When you spend that kind of money for something, it’s not the lottery. You don’t just take all your chances or whatever. Sometimes you end up not getting water. We got water,” explained David Wale.
However, about three weeks ago, it changed. Her well went dry.
“It happened to an elderly lady that doesn’t have the money to put back into another. She’s getting rainwater to wash her clothes, to flush the toilets,” explained David Wale. “It’s unthinkable. I spent all that money just to have somebody take her water from her.”
“It’s hard on a 75-year-old woman to carry everything, but God’s given me the strength, and as I said before, he gave me the well. He can take it away and give it back to me if he wants me to have it,” added Cheryl Wale.
The Midland County Department of Health issues permits for wells.
They told 9&10 News they’re working with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy for recommendations regarding this situation. They also said the farm nearby has a well around a similar depth on the same aquifer, but they aren’t sure if it’s the reason Chery Wale’s well went dry.
The Midland County Department of Public Health says they will waive the permit fees if Cheryl Wale gets a new well.
9&10 News plans on continuing to follow this story, working to get answers as to why Cheryl Wale’s well went dry.