Families in one Bracknell street say they have ‘had enough,’ after having their water supply cut off since December.
The first water pressure issues were reported in Newlands Place in December and residents say have been putting up with unsanitary conditions ever since.
Housing Association Stonewater has confirmed the water supply has been restored to every home.
However, according to many residents, no support was given to them until Bracknell’s MP Peter Swallow, became involved
An external leak was found, and those flats without running water were accommodated in hotels in what the housing association called a ‘decant’.
Some residents said the ‘decant’ has been very insecure because they were only offered one night’s accommodation at a time, and they keep having to move rooms or even hotels.
The housing association, Stonewater, has installed a water tank to provide non-drinking water, but when this was connected tap supply to some other properties abruptly stopped.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service has heard from multiple residents who all say that representatives from the Housing Association have not returned their calls, with residents told, they were either ‘out of the office,’ ‘on holiday’ or would ‘call back the next day’ but they didn’t.
On February 16, Stonewater informed residents the issue was fixed, but many residents say they still don’t have water, or the pressure is so low that it won’t flush the toilets.
One of the worst affected was Deena Bartle who has two young children, and has been without running water for close to three weeks now.
She said: “I am desperate. The hygiene in my home is abysmal. We can only flush the toilet once a day as it takes five litres for one flush.
“I am trying my best but my children are young, they don’t have control of their bodily functions.
“This is despite calling and emailing the right people constantly, everyday. We are being ignored and avoided.”
Deena and her partner had repeatedly asked to be ‘decanted’ into hotel accommodation but felt that their requests were ignored.
She said: “My son is now ill so I am trying to clean sick in a home, which has only bottled water alone.
“He has additional needs including kidney damage related, so water is an important factor in keeping him well.
“We’ve been paid money a bit at a time in lieu of hotel accommodation – £50 here, £100 there. It felt a bit like hush money.
“We cannot live like this anymore, and I don’t know why we aren’t being helped.”
Another resident, Dan Snook said: “I’ve had enough of this sh**e.
“We’re living here and we’ve got no pressure. If the sink’s on the bath can’t be running. It’s a bit of a joke really.”
Another resident, who was ‘decanted’ into a hotel outside of the Bracknell Forest area with her husband and her cat said: “We were given a choice of Premier Inn or Travelodge.
“I had to choose the Travelodge because it was the only place that would accept my cat but we took the cat home again when we saw the room.
“It’s a seven year old building and it’s falling to bits. There are just no plans.
“The housing association left us homeless for four hours this week.
“We’ve been told lies after lies by Stonewater. Their lack of care and communication is appalling and disgusting.”
Peter Swallow MP said: “This is an appalling situation. I was shocked when residents reached out to me to explain how they had been treated.
“I am continuing to press Stonewater to address this mess.
“They have a duty to residents to fix this as quickly as possible.”
A spokesperson for Stonewater Housing Association said: “We recognise how difficult the situation at Newlands Place has been for customers, and we appreciate the patience people have shown while we worked to resolve it.
“The burst of a major underground water main proved far more complex to repair than initially expected, largely due to the building’s intricate infrastructure – something that only became fully clear once works were underway.
“We’re pleased that the issue has now been resolved and water supply has been restored to every home.
“From the outset, our priority was ensuring customers without water had support in place.
“Households were offered alternative accommodation as soon as issues were reported, including those in shared ownership homes.
“This was the case for this latter group even though we had no obligation to do so as they are covered by insurance paid by their service charge.
“Where options didn’t meet individual needs, we continued searching until supply was reinstated.
“We have also been covering the cost of bottled water throughout.
“Customers were kept updated regularly by letter, email, text and calls, and we will continue to offer support should further issues be reported.
“We will also support customers to access our formal complaints process, should they wish, as this is the method we use for determining compensation.”
