Blackburn couple still without water after 72 hours feel 'forgotten'

Trish and Steven Winters, who live in the Livesey area of Blackburn, are still without water following a mains pipe burst over the weekend.

They said that until this morning, they were only given six bottles of water by the water board - and four of those were used just to flush the toilet - although United Utilities say they have a record that more has been delivered.

Trish and Steven Winters have been without water since Saturday morning, but in this time, they have only received six bottles of water

Trish said: “Lots of people who went out to the station had also gone to the shops and cleared them of water.

“We had to fight tooth and nail for six bottles of water because we can’t get out.

“We feel completely left out and forgotten.”

Due to the couple’s disabilities, and that Steven is on a dialysis machine, they were unable to get to the stations set up by the water board in Witton Park and Pleasington Playing Fields, so relied upon United Utilities to deliver supplies for them.

Despite numerous requests to be placed on the priority list, they claim they did not receive any water until Monday, and when they did get a delivery, were only given six bottles, with Trish saying it took four of those just to flush the toilet once.

The couple received a further delivery of water earlier today, but are still angered by the fact they were left without any for two days.

Trish has said she is also concerned for other vulnerable people like themselves who may have struggled in the same way.

She added: “It’s incredibly frustrating, we feel completely forgotten about us.

“Those of us who can’t get to the stations have been forgotten about.

“They have been great on the phone, and I know it’s not their fault but the people who it has been passed on to haven’t really done anything until today.”

United Utilities shared this image of the burst pipe on Old Farmside, in the Ewood area of Blackburn (Image: United Utilities)

The burst pipe on Old Farmside, in the Ewood area of Blackburn, caused a loss of water pressure for some homes whilst others were forced to go without water in baking temperatures – with some still without water now more than 72 hours later.

A fleet of tankers was dispatched to pump water into the system and three water bottle stations were set up.

United Utilities say that repairs to the burst main are continuing but that due to the complexity of the repair and the depth of the main, it’s taking longer than expected to safely get it fixed.

They have managed to put a temporary fix in place by bypassing the burst water main and rerouting the water supply, but a further issue has left some customers with no water or poor pressure.

A spokesperson for United Utilities said: “We are sorry to hear of Mr and Mrs Winters’ difficulties during the water burst in Blackburn.

"We delivered a total of 36 litres of bottled water direct to the customers over Sunday and Monday and they have now been added to our priority services and dialysis registers.

“Anyone who would benefit from extra support in the event of a loss of water, whether due to age, ill health, disability, mental health problems, financial worries or language barriers, can sign up for our priority services register.

"It is a free service which means we can respond quickly to those with particular needs.

"We also encourage people to pass this information on to family, friends and neighbours who may benefit."

You can sign up online at www.unitedutilities.com/help-and-support/priority-services/ or call 0345 072 6093.