New Kensington community rallies to help couple without hot water in Cheswick

A Cheswick couple living without hot water in their residence for more than two weeks are thankful for the people who helped solve their water woes.

LeAnne Burns, a former Tarentum resident, has lived in Cheswick for 18 years.

When the old, rusty water heating tank in her home off Freeport Road failed, she and her live-in boyfriend were faced with the cold, harsh reality of living with only cold water.

“I’m 58, on disability and I have health issues,” Burns said. “I’m on a fixed income. We pay our bills, but there isn’t much left.”

The couple boiled water for baths and for cooking for more than two weeks.

Burns had to boil water and then hand wash the dishes for proper sanitation.

“It was rough and dangerous, boiling all that water and taking it to the tub for a bath,” Burns said.

A new hot water tank can cost more than $2,000, so the couple were struggling with no money to replace the defunct tank.

Burn’s best friend, Joanne Connelly of Cheswick, heard about her friend’s tank trouble and secretly posted on a Facebook New Kensington private group, soliciting a used tank and/or asking for monetary donations to help the couple get hot water again.

Her Facebook post resulted in hundreds of comments from the public.

“I’ve seen a lot of people help others over the years,” said Connelly of the New Kensington social media group. “I’ve never seen so many positive comments.”

Connelly began fielding comments from strangers online who were offering to donate money to the cause.

But a local plumbing company contacted her, and Connelly ultimately didn’t take any monetary donations at all.

“Shelton Plumbing said there was no need to collect money and that they would take care of it,” Connelly said.

Denny Kelley, manager of Shelton Plumbing based out of Plum, said he noticed Connelly’s post while scrolling through Facebook and felt compelled to help.

“I thought, ‘We’re doing this,’ and everyone is in business to make money, but sometimes you just have to do something for the community,” Kelley said.

Shelton Plumbing opened in 1983 under founder John Shelton of New Kensington.

Kelley and another manager, Caleb Graff of Allegheny Township, arrived at the Burns residence over the weekend and installed a new 50-gallon electric hot water tank in about two hours.

Additionally, they installed a new regulator, new pipes and an expansion tank, all valued at close to $3,000.

Burns said she was presented with an invoice with a balance of zero.

“I hugged them when they arrived and when they left. This is amazing,” Burns said of the generosity of strangers. “I was absolutely overwhelmed. After they left, I took a long, hot shower.”

Burns didn’t know of her friend’s mission to help the couple get a new water tank.

“I’m overwhelmed,” said Burns of the outpouring of the assistance. “I cried. I was a big baby, crying.”