A woman has described the moment her home was suddenly flooded after a burst water pipe caused widespread flooding in Fairfield. Carmel Bower said around five inches of water had entered her home and 10 inches had gathered in the garden following the incident on Wednesday evening (August 19).
She said her family's home on Elm Vale had been left "ruined" after the flooding struck without warning. Carmel said she was upstairs watching TV when she heard "an almighty scream" after her mum discovered the hallway was submerged in water.
Resident describes devastation
Carmel told the ECHO: "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."
Emergency response and compensation
The flooding happened after a water pipe burst on Elm Vale, close to Prescot Road, with emergency services called to the scene. When the ECHO arrived at around 6.40pm, water was gushing from the top of Elm Vale where it meets Prescot Road, with emergency services in attendance.
A United Utilities spokesperson confirmed the flooding was caused by a burst water pipe which was reported at around 5.15pm and said the incident was being treated as a priority. They said: “Our teams are responding to a burst pipe in Fairfield. We are working closely with the emergency services at the site.”
The water has since cleared from Elm Vale, with firefighters working to unblock drains. United Utilities also issued a warning to residents across L7, L1, L3 and L8 about possible low water pressure or no water while the issue is investigated.
A Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said crews were alerted at 5.32pm and arrived at 5.36pm, with four fire engines attending the burst water main. Merseyside Police, North West Ambulance Service and United Utilities were also at the scene.
Prescot Road has been closed in both directions near Laurel Road, with the 8, 9, 10, 10A and 10B bus services experiencing severe delays and diversions. Firefighters have urged people to avoid the area while the incident continues.
A United Utilities spokesperson said: "We are extremely sorry for the disruption caused by this major water main burst in Liverpool. Our teams are working around the clock to isolate the damaged section of pipe and restore normal water supplies as quickly as possible."
"We are working closely with the relevant authorities to support affected residents and help the area recover as quickly as possible."
"Customers whose properties have been damaged as a direct result of the burst will be compensated. Dedicated teams will work with affected residents to ensure claims are handled as quickly and sensitively as possible."
"We would like to thank all the local agencies who are supporting the response, and to residents for the kindness they have shown to our teams as they work as fast as possible to resolve the situation."
Customers are encouraged to check the latest updates at www.unitedutilities.com or contact United Utilities on 0345 672 3723.
