A Brooklyn pre-k center has been without running water since the first day of school, and parents say it has created unsafe and unsanitary conditions. NY1's Lindsey Christ filed the following report.

At the Brooklyn Army Terminal, there is a brand new pre-k center for 107 students operated by the Department of Education as part of Mayor Bill de Blasio's pre-k-for-all expansion. However, parents say that for nearly a month now, there has been no running water and no way to cool off classrooms inside the steamy industrial building, where windows are sealed shut.

"These are our children there with no AC. They're sweating, they're very hot, these are factory-like windows, with no water. They're not able to wash their hands properly and using hand sanitizer excessively" said parent Jovita Vergara-Sosa. "It's not safe."

They say their small children come home from school talking about the "magic soap," which is really just alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

"That's not healthy because they are using sanitizer at least three times a day. They have to eat breakfast, lunch, and they go to the bathroom," said parent Ercilia Castillo. "So that's not safe because that's a lot of alcohol, and a lot of kids has his hands so dry. And in his face, when they wash his hands, they put it in his face. They are kids. They are four years old. So that's sad."

But for weeks now, all of the parents' questions, emails and calls have gone unanswered.

"We feel like we don't have principal, because we never get an answer from the principal, official answer," Castillo said.

However, a few hours after NY1 began looking into the story on Friday, the Department of Education sent home a long letter with students acknowledging the issues and explaining what's being done to get the water running and air flowing. Officials say they expect to have the building up to code by late October.

Meanwhile, the DOE promises bottled water and non-alcoholic hand sanitizer, as well as pitchers and buckets, in every classroom.

"We are a little sad that we have to call to the news so they put the water in," Castillo said.

The Department of Education also said it would hold a meeting with parents Monday - not at the school, but at the district superintendent's office, where there is running water.