Families' anger after water leak floods roads for SEVEN weeks
A puddle on King Street close to the source of the leak. - Credit: James Weeds
Families living in a seaside village are angry that a burst water pipe has been left to flood roads for nearly seven weeks.
The leak, in Winterton-on-Sea, was first noticed by resident Colin Jones at the end of June.
Mr Jones, 55, said: "I just can't believe that it has been going on for this amount of time.
"And the gallons and gallons of water that's just being wasted is ridiculous."
A puddle of water on King Street, Winterton-on-Sea. The water has been flowing from a burst water pipe on a private road close by. - Credit: James Weeds
Mr Jones, who has been a resident of The Loke in Winterton for 16 years, contacted the local water supplier and discovered the issue was yet unresolved due to the leak starting on private land.
"I've had to sweep the road several times a day, and the flies are starting to lay eggs.
"And it really smells."
Resident of The Loke, Colin Jones, is angry the leak has been flowing for almost seven weeks. - Credit: James Weeds
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Mr Jones's neighbour, James Talbot, owns a second home on The Loke and has also been affected.
Mr Talbot bought the property before the first lockdown and stated that there were a few small damp spots on his living room wall at the time of purchase.
"But we've come back and it's far worse," Mr Talbot said.
James Talbot's living room wall has an increased amount of damp since the leak began. - Credit: James Weeds
"We've bought dehumidifiers and opened all the windows to try and dry the house out.
"We're told to turn the taps off when cleaning our teeth to protect the environment, and yet there's hundreds of gallons of water leaking under my doorstep."
The leak begins on a private road off of King Street and runs all the way down The Loke and ending up in the drain outside Winterton Post Office.
The drain outside Winterton Post Office, where the leak ends. - Credit: James Weeds
A spokesperson for Essex & Suffolk Water said: "While it is not our pipe to repair and ultimately falls outside of our responsibility, we have offered to support them by carrying out that work as a contractor, should they all agree to that.
Water has been running from the leak in Winterton since the end of June. - Credit: James Weeds
"Alternatively, the residents can choose to source their own supplier.”
Councillor James Bensly said: "I am so disappointed in Essex and Suffolk Water.
"Yes, it is on a private road, but I believe Essex and Suffolk Water could quite easily fix the leak and then bill the occupants.
"To leave it running for this long when water is such a valuable resource is sickening."
With the wet weekend expected, Mr Jones has prepared sandbags to cope with the flow of water on The Loke.
We have been unable to contact the landowner.
Damp on Mr Talbot's wall. The water from the leak runs directly outside his living room wall. - Credit: James Weeds
The standing water down The Loke has started to become a haven for flies. - Credit: James Weeds
