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Thornwood House tenants report rashes and present petition; board pledges to seek EPA testing
Summary
A tenant leader said many Thornwood House residents are developing rashes they believe are linked to building water; she submitted a petition with 107 signatures and a board member said they would contact the EPA and other agencies to pursue testing.
Patricia Callaway, acting tenant president at Thornwood House, told the Village of University Park Board that multiple residents are experiencing skin rashes and itching that she attributed to the building27s water supply. Callaway said she gathered 107 signatures on a petition documenting residents27 complaints and urged the board to act to identify and remediate the cause.
"The water at Thornwood House is breaking people out. It's giving them rashes. It's making them itch," Callaway said during public comment and handed a petition to trustees. She said many residents have seen doctors and that the symptoms cleared while she was away, which she described as further evidence the water is the source.
A board member replied that they would "personally contact the EPA tomorrow and give them that information and anyone else that I can talk to regarding your water situation." Trustees and staff also discussed the ongoing TAP sample-collection effort; a trustee said the program runs through July 21 and that the board and its liaison (Kim Sanders, referenced) are collecting compliance letters and preparing for possible litigation. According to trustees, most TAP samples recorded so far were compliant, but residents continued to report odor and discoloration at the tap.
Other public commenters urged the board to provide regular, visible updates at each meeting about what steps have been taken on water testing, who the village has spoken to and what the next actions are. Residents also raised related infrastructure issues, including unsafe roadway conditions near Thornwood House that have damaged vehicles.
Next steps: a trustee pledged to escalate the matter to the EPA and other agencies, and trustees asked staff to collect residents27 test results and TAP correspondence so the village can compile records. No formal vote or contractual action was taken at the meeting; residents requested regular public updates on testing, agency contacts and remediation progress.
