- Location
- East Sussex
A week ago today a water main burst alongside the "B" road where we have some land. It was a significant leak and would have been losing around a thousand gallons an hour (4,500 litres).
The leak ran down the road and into the road drains and went into our fields, these have now become totally waterlogged.
It was reported to Southern Water's leakline last Saturday with an assurance an inspector would attend to it.
By the Tuesday nothing had happened so I phoned again, same story and they said they didn't have any record of the previous report, even though they were given a Post code and accurate location.
On Wednesday nothing had happened and the flooding was much worse. Phoned again and said they had no record of it being reported! Nice lady said she would elevate the leak to a "P1", when I asked what that meant I was told it meant the Inspector had to attend in two hours.
Thursday arrived and still nothing had happened! I phoned again and this time they found the report and couldn't understand why there was no report from the Inspector, I asked that he should call me when he arrived at the site. I received a text some time after saying he would be on site at a certain time, he wasn't! He did phone me and said he couldn't find it, despite the fact that the road was flooded and it wasn't raining. They had given him the wrong directions! He then said they would have to get traffic lights and would get on with it. Thursday night traffic lights came with a chap guarding them, a van and digger turned up and it looked as if they were going to fix it.
Friday came, traffic lights and guard still there, digger and van gone and leak not repaired.
Today the traffic lights still there, two flooded fields, water pouring down the road. I phone the magic number where everything disappears. Sam answered and I tried to extract a full name from him and where he was working from, of course due to GPDR he couldn't tell me, but he did let slip that he was in South Yorkshire and at home. I am not sure why someone in Sothern Waters technical team lives in S Yorks!
When I asked why the leak hadn't been fixed when it was elevated to a "P1" on the Wednesday and traffic lights and a team of repairers arrived on the Thursday, he calmly told me that the correct instruction hadn't been given and it had been officially reported at 10.22am today, Saturday. So I said it will be fixed today?
No it is now a "P2" which means it has to be fixed within 24 hours of a working day!!
You couldn't make this up if you tried. SW have a terrible record for pollution and will be one of the first next summer applying for drought orders.
I have written asking for four figure compensation and have also copied my local MP's.
The leak ran down the road and into the road drains and went into our fields, these have now become totally waterlogged.
It was reported to Southern Water's leakline last Saturday with an assurance an inspector would attend to it.
By the Tuesday nothing had happened so I phoned again, same story and they said they didn't have any record of the previous report, even though they were given a Post code and accurate location.
On Wednesday nothing had happened and the flooding was much worse. Phoned again and said they had no record of it being reported! Nice lady said she would elevate the leak to a "P1", when I asked what that meant I was told it meant the Inspector had to attend in two hours.
Thursday arrived and still nothing had happened! I phoned again and this time they found the report and couldn't understand why there was no report from the Inspector, I asked that he should call me when he arrived at the site. I received a text some time after saying he would be on site at a certain time, he wasn't! He did phone me and said he couldn't find it, despite the fact that the road was flooded and it wasn't raining. They had given him the wrong directions! He then said they would have to get traffic lights and would get on with it. Thursday night traffic lights came with a chap guarding them, a van and digger turned up and it looked as if they were going to fix it.
Friday came, traffic lights and guard still there, digger and van gone and leak not repaired.
Today the traffic lights still there, two flooded fields, water pouring down the road. I phone the magic number where everything disappears. Sam answered and I tried to extract a full name from him and where he was working from, of course due to GPDR he couldn't tell me, but he did let slip that he was in South Yorkshire and at home. I am not sure why someone in Sothern Waters technical team lives in S Yorks!
When I asked why the leak hadn't been fixed when it was elevated to a "P1" on the Wednesday and traffic lights and a team of repairers arrived on the Thursday, he calmly told me that the correct instruction hadn't been given and it had been officially reported at 10.22am today, Saturday. So I said it will be fixed today?
No it is now a "P2" which means it has to be fixed within 24 hours of a working day!!
You couldn't make this up if you tried. SW have a terrible record for pollution and will be one of the first next summer applying for drought orders.
I have written asking for four figure compensation and have also copied my local MP's.