The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office has launched an investigation into the living conditions within the Regency Mobile Home Community, located just south of Iowa City.

Detective James Roberts said he’s been assigned by Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek specifically to look into the legality of some conditions in the community, which has had reports of smell of raw sewage and bad water quality.

Pamela Hime, a 54-year-old resident of the community who is living with cancer, said she chooses not to drink the tap water because of its odd smell and color. Instead, she drinks bottled water.

“It’s drinkable; it’s just got stuff in it,” she said. “The water has been the same for the last eight years since I’ve been here.”

The water may have a high iron content, but it’s still safe, said Ryan Stouder, an environmental specialist at the Department of Natural Resources’ field office in Washington, Iowa, who has helped to inspect the situation.

“That comes a lot of times with well water,” he said.

One resident, Jan Kane, described her experience with the discolored water when she made tea.

“After it’s all gone, I have to dump the sand out of the filter,” the 37-year-old said. “It leaves a really bad taste.”

Water is not the only issue residents are concerned with. The investigation comes days after a Des Moines Register investigation revealed issues with the park.

The Sheriff’s Office and Natural Resources are looking into several other issues, including solid-waste disposal and improper home disposal.

Another concern is the number of homes still needing to pay back taxes. In fact, 116 out of 186 of the homes had back taxes owed on them as of May, according to Johnson County Treasurer Tom Kriz.

He said many of the trailer owners don’t have titles, and the titles are often hard to track.

“To transfer the titles, taxes have to be current,” he said.

Hime said she owed almost $800 in back taxes.

“We went through court and everything — we won,” she said. “When you get the trailer with no title, you don’t know about the taxes until you do all the work and get yourself in it.”

Hime also said abandoned homes are not uncommon in the park.

“They keep saying that they’re gonna pull them out, they’re gonna pull them out,” she said. “I’ve heard that for the last three years, and I haven’t seen them pull them out.”

Kane pointed out that despite popular stereotypes, the park is not what everyone might think it is, and leaving is easier said than done.

“We’re just people trying to make a living,” she said, noting that her husband works at a car lot. “People out here actually do have good jobs.”

Despite its problems, residents such as Hime and Kane still see the park as home.

“We’re tight-knit; everybody gets along,” Hime said. “We need this place.”