Couple back home weeks after water main burst

A couple have described having to leave their flat for weeks after a burst water main left their building without a reliable water supply.

Mathew Price and his fiancee Kylie said the delay in securing alternative accommodation after the problems at Newlands Place in Bracknell, Berkshire, caused them stress and financial strain.

They said they were left continuing to pay rent and bills on a home they could not live in.

Housing association Stonewater said the repair was "far more complex than expected" and that it supported residents throughout, providing temporary accommodation, bottled water, and help with additional costs.

The pair, who have lived at the block for seven years, were first told about the water main failure on 29 December.

Other residents were moved into temporary accommodation on 5 January, but Price and his fiancée said they were not housed until 21 January.

Price said the period away from home was "really tough", and that the uncertainty and disruption "took its toll" as they tried to manage daily tasks such as washing.

Bracknell's Labour MP, Peter Swallow, said he was "appalled" by the way the situation had been managed.

He said residents were "kept in the dark" and some were left with water pressure so poor they "could not wash or heat their homes".

A spokesperson for Stonewater said: "We recognise how difficult the situation at Newlands Place has been for customers... the burst of a major underground water main proved far more complex to repair than initially expected largely due to the buildings intricate infrastructure."

The spokesperson said Stonewater's priority had been "ensuring customers without water had support in place" and that, as well as covering the costs of bottled water and other expenses, it had offered residents alternative accommodation.

"When customers are moved into temporary accommodation, they should continue to pay their rent and household bills as normal, as the costs to cover the temporary accommodation are covered by Stonewater and are not passed on to customers," the housing association added.

"We're pleased that the issue has now been resolved and water supply has been restored to every home."

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