A DISABLED grandmother is”devastated” after raw sewage flooded her home and destroyed all the rooms and furniture when wet wipes blocked the drains.
Ann May, 57, and husband Simon, 60, had their £100,000 flat ruined by foul-smelling filth that poured up from the sewers through the shower.
Ann May, 57, was left ‘devastated’ after the sewage flooded up through her home, destroying all the rooms and furniture[/caption]
Their carpets, sofas and bed were soaked by a tsunami of germs that washed through their one-bedroom apartment in Rochford, Essex ten weeks ago.
The couple had to chuck out all their furniture and are forced to live in a caravan while the flat is repaired, with Ann blaming their housing association for ignoring complaints about damaged sewage pipes.
Ann told Sun Online: “It is an absolute nightmare. I am distraught. I’ve got nothing left. Our home is uninhabitable.
“It has hit us like a brick wall. It’s really impacted on my health.”
SEWAGE SURGE
Sewage poured up through the couple’s shower pipe after heavy rains, flooding their home in contaminated water.
But Ann insists housing association Notting Hill Genesis residents’ complaints about bad smells from sewers and damaged drains “for years”.
The couple returned from a weekend away to find their flat had been wrecked.
Ann – who has had strokes and suffers from epilepsy – said: “I was in floods of tears. As you trod on the carpets it was coming over our shoes.
I was in floods of tears. As you trod on the carpets it was coming over our shoes. It was a horrendous smell
Ann May
“It was a horrendous smell. You could smell it from the hallway. It had strained as it came up through our drains we had this liquid excretion all over the floor.
“The carpets were totally soaked in excrement. It hit every room. It got the front room, the hallway, the bedroom.
“It had obviously surged up and then come back down while we were away.”
She added: “It was all underneath the kitchen cabinet. We have big hall cupboards – even they were flooded.
“We had wanted to spend the rest of our lives in this flat, but it’s uninhabitable.”
Ann was medically discharged from her job teaching at a prison after suffering a number of strokes.
The grandmother-of-three moved to the 27-flat block of flats for over-55’s, many of whom are vulnerable, because of her poor health four years ago, spending £28,000 on furniture.
OAP pals helped them salvage what belongings they could as Ann was unable to lift heavy items.
An £800 mattress, the bed, all the carpets, two sofas and their grandchildrens’ toys were among the belongings Ann and Simon had to throw out.
The carpets, tiles, kitchen floor and bathroom were all completely ripped out, with the house finally decontaminated on Monday.
‘I AM SO UPSET’
Ann believes “inept” Notting Hill Genesis aren’t doing enough to fix their flat following the devastating flood.
She said: “This goes back about 14 years. They had had problems with the sewage, which they didn’t address.
“For the last four years I have lived here we have complained about the sewage, but they still haven’t addressed it.
“Recently, we were still saying there is a bad smell in the corridor, there is a problem, it needs resolving.
I have been made to feel like someone who should shut up. I am so upset
Ann May
“I have been made to feel like someone who should shut up. I am so upset.”
Ann believes a neighbour upstairs flushed the wet wipes, but says there other problems also caused the damage to the pipes.
Building insurance is set to cover the damages, but Ann fears she’ll still be living in the caravan at Christmas with her home completely gutted.
A Notting Hill Genesis spokesman said: “The resident affected was immediately offered the chance to move into alternative Notting Hill Genesis accommodation, but declined as they have another property they could move into while work is carried out.
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“An investigation was required as the cause was not immediately apparent, and use of a camera within the drain revealed that the problem was caused by wet wipes creating a blockage.
“We are aware that residents have been complaining of smells for some time and have been sanctioning camera checks of the drains twice a year, as well as keeping Anglian Water in close contact with Norwich House and keeping a log book of complaints at the scheme to record any smells so they can be immediately investigated.
“We are sorry it has taken this time to identify the cause of the blockage but work is due to start very shortly.”
Ann fears she will still be living in her caravan by Christmas[/caption]
The flat needed to be completely decontaminated[/caption]
The couple had to throw out all their belongings after the sewage flooded their home[/caption]
The flat needs to be completely renovated after the sewage flood[/caption]
Ann and her husband Simon, (pictured), moved into the flat four years ago[/caption]
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