How was water main burst allowed to happen again?

Oxford’s politicians hit out at the company after the 24-inch pipe burst in Normandy Crescent yesterday morning, flooding more than 20 homes with water up to the waist, according to the city council.

Oxford East MP Andrew Smith said “big questions” needed to be answered by the water provider as he spent the s Continued from Page 1 morning talking with affected residents.

He said: “I feel so sorry for the residents plunged into all of this just seven years after it happened before in almost the exact same place.

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“It’s terrible to see people who have had to leave their homes. These children are frightened and have had their possessions destroyed.

“You would have thought that after the last disaster here the pipes would have been regulated and maintained.

“Thames Water owe residents an explanation of how this could have happened. They have got to repair it effectively and as quickly as possible.”

In total 50 homes were affected by being cut off by the water, and 15 houses and eight flats have severe water damage.

Fuming Oxford City Council leader Bob Price described the situation as “shocking” and said: “Thames Water has failed to deal effectively with what was a very major defect in their water supply system.

“The consequences of this are that 40 families are going to have to be substantially inconvenienced for a period of maybe three or four months through to Christmas.

“For them it is a complete disaster and it is entirely the fault of Thames Water.”

For Lye Valley city councillor Pat Kennedy, who found out about the incident at 8am, the concern is the health of those affected.

She said: “It’s the human side of it that’s really so serious. I think what’s worrying is the stress that causes, it is really serious for their health.”

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue sent five appliances – including a special pumping unit from Banbury – to the scene just after 5am when the pipe burst.

Thames Water told Churchill and Lye Valley county councillor Liz Brighouse that residents “would be financially compensated for the event”.

She added: “I’m so very angry. I’m going to push that all costs of this are paid by Thames Water.”

Thames Water refused to answer the Oxford Mail’s questions over the broken pipe, but spokeswoman Becky Trotman said: “Our engineers have turned off the water supply to the broken pipe to stop any further flooding and once the floodwater has been cleared we’ll start fixing it.

“Our main priority is to get the lives of those affected by this flooding back to normal as quickly as possible.

“Of course some customers will be upset and frustrated. What’s happened here is horrendous. This is our pipe, our responsibility, and we are doing all we can to put it right.

“Our loss adjusters are discussing each individual situation with the affected residents and have worked with the council on finding alternative accommodation.

“This water pipe is more than 12 feet underground and we will be carrying out a full repair and investigation, as with all bursts, as soon as we can.”

Normandy Crescent is not the only place to suffer from burst pipes.

Eight homes in South Hinksey were flooded in February 2012 when another 24-inch water main burst and left flood water covering half a square mile.

Thames Water agreed in 2009 to enter a price control period, where they cannot increase the water rate for customers more than 1.4 per cent above inflation, which will end in 2015.

For 2013-14 the average water and sewage bills for homes in the Thames Valley came to £354.

Last year the company applied to put up bills by about £29 per household during 2014-15, which was rejected by industry regulators which said there was not enough justification for the price hike.

Emergency rest centre set up for evacuated residents

SOME residents in Normandy Crescent were unable to return to their homes last night after being flooded out by a burst pipe.

More than 50 properties were affected and, of those, 15 homes and eight flats suffered serious water damage.

• RESCUE ACT: Mark Pearson, 47, and his girlfriend Jacqui Litchfield, 47, are helped away from their Normandy Crescent home on a life raft 

Mark Pearson, 47, and his girlfriend Jacqui Litchfield had to be rescued from his home on a life raft.

Mrs Litchfield, 47, said: “Because of the adrenaline at the beginning, you grab photos and clothes.

“It’s only just hit us now that we have left things that were in the cupboards that we did not think about at the time.”

Huw Dimond, 28, moved into his house with girlfriend Liz Bayliss, 26, seven months ago.

He said: “It’s our first home. We’re not too bad. We had plenty of warning from the fire crews so we could move our cars and bring valuables upstairs.

“Even with sandbags the water came in downstairs. There was about an inch, it soaked through the floorboards.

“Our living room and wooden furniture is ruined, we will have to completely rip up the floor and redecorate.”

The physiotherapy student at Oxford Brookes University said he hoped they would be able to stay in their home.

He said: “I’m trying to plod on and not think about it, but my girlfriend is very upset. We don’t still want to be having problems by Christmas.”

Ciro Gargiulo, 27, and his wife Emanuela, 28, alerted the fire service to the flood when he discovered the water after waking up for work at 5am.

He said: “I could hear water and thought it was just raining but realised there was a river running in the back garden.”

Mr Gargiulo, father to Alexia, five, and Marco, two, set up an impromptu creche in the family’s first-floor flat, where they were trapped until 11.30am. The logistics manager said: “I’m really angry with Thames Water because if you know there is a problem, fix it.”

Fifty people were taken to an emergency rest centre at the Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre in Pegasus Road to give people clothes and food.

Thames Water said it was working to find alternative accommodation, such as hotels, for people who could not stay with family.

The company is also arranging hire cars for people whose vehicles were affected by the water.

Spokesman for Oxford City Council, Chofamba Sithole, said nine guest rooms had been made available in sheltered housing schemes.

Last night a support vehicle was parked in Normandy Crescent until 7pm to help people still on the street, which will return at 8am today.

Naomi Tyrell, 30, lives in a ground floor flat on the street with her three children.

She said: “I can't get back in my flat. I’m angry. Thames Water promised it would never happen again.

“My kids can’t go to school, they’re just in their pyjamas, they don’t have shoes.”

QUESTIONS UNANSWERED BY WATER COMPANY

• Is this the same pipe that burst in 2007?
• If so, what repairs were made in 2007 and how much did they cost?
• How did this happen again?
• If it is not the same pipe, when was the new one installed and how much did it cost?
• How come this pipe has failed?
• What maintenance has been carried out between 2007 and now on the pipe?
• What is being done to ensure this does not happen again?
• What guarantees can you provide this will not happen for a third time?
• What is going to happen to the residents? Will you be offering compensation?

Reliving the horrors of 2007 all over again

An estimated one million litres of water flooded 24 homes after a 24-inch pipe on Normandy Crescent previously burst in January 2007.

Forty residents were left in temporary accommodation. Several lost possessions after looters targeted their empty homes.

Oxfordshire County Council billed Thames Water £225,000 and Oxford City Council claimed £35,000 for clean-up costs.

• FUMING: Pauline Ximines after her home was flooded in 2007

Resident Pauline Ximines has now been flooded twice.

The 47-year-old carer said: “This is the second time this has happened. Last time Thames Water told us that they were 99 per cent sure it would not happen again.

“Thames Water have to give us answers. We are not living like this. We are all suffering in the street because of them.”

The mum-of-three added: “I’m fuming and I’m not letting them get away with it this time.”

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