Roads remain closed across Liverpool this morning, August 20, after two burst pipes caused flooding on Wednesday night. Elm Vale in Fairfield is still cordoned off as work continues on the damaged water main.
The burst pipes on Overton Street and Elm Vale, near the junction of Prescot Road, in Edge Hill and Fairfield respectively, led to flooding in homes and left some residents without water for a period of time. United Utilities repaired the Overton Street damage and reconfigured the network in Fairfield overnight.
United Utilities update on repairs
In an update to the ECHO this morning, the water provider said teams continue to work on Prescot Road, with road closures still in place. A spokesperson said: "Following the burst water main on Prescot Road, L7, on Wednesday evening, our teams have been working around the clock to restore services and support affected customers."
The spokesperson added: "We can confirm that the leak has been stopped and water supplies have been restored to all customers by reconfiguring our network to bypass the damaged section of main. While some customers may continue to experience variations in water pressure over the coming hours, we expect services to gradually return to normal."
Work to permanently repair the damaged main is under way and will continue as quickly and safely as possible.
Support for affected residents
United Utilities said those whose homes were flooded will be contacted directly, with specialist loss adjusters assessing the impact. The spokesperson continued: "Customers will be fully supported throughout the recovery process, and we will compensate for losses resulting from flooding caused by this incident."
Dedicated customer support teams are carrying out door-to-door visits in the area, while mobile customer response vehicles will be on-site this morning to provide face-to-face assistance, information and support. The spokesperson said: "We would like to thank local agencies for their support during the response to this incident, and residents for their patience, understanding and kindness towards our teams as they worked to restore supplies and begin the recovery process."
Resident describes devastation
Carmel Bower, who lives on Elm Vale, told the ECHO how five inches of water entered her home, with water reaching around 10 inches in her garden. She said her home had been left ruined after water submerged her hallway.
She said: "When my mum opened the living room door, it was already flooded. It wasn’t like there was a little bit of water to give us a warning that we might be flooded, it was just completely flooded."
"I came running down and there was water everywhere. There was water outside and it was just coming down the street. It was absolutely horrendous. Our house is ruined. The kitchen's ruined. It's just everything downstairs, all the living room and all my mum's nice new furniture. There’s a chair in there that I don't know whether is going to be OK. My mum's had it in the family for 40 years."
