Michael Bellamy, 68, who lives in a flat on Northumberland Terrace in Kirkdale, says water has been building up on the road and pavement for three weeks due to what he believes is a broken water pipe. Pictures taken by the ECHO show part of the street is drenched, with a broken fire hydrant visible.
Ongoing issue
Michael is angry that the issue has not been fixed, despite reporting it to United Utilities on three separate occasions. He said: "I was at church and the vicar said to me, 'what's going on here? Why is water pouring everywhere?'"
He added: "I've got a rescue dog. When I walk her, because the water's running over the road and down the gutter, she won't step over the water for some reason. Yesterday, another guy with a dog started to wash her in the water to cool her down. It shouldn't be happening. There should be somebody out there now."
Frustration with response
Michael says he has alerted United Utilities about the issue three times. He said: "I've contacted United Utilities but nothing happened. They said, 'oh yes, Mr Bellamy, you've rang twice, we know what's going on, it'll be seen when it's seen to'. So why not now? It shouldn't be happening."
He also expressed concern about water waste, saying: "Is the water board that busy? Surely there must be a valve down there that they can turn off. It's like they're not bothered. It's just pouring out. But it shouldn't be like that, not with what's going on TV. We've got fires everywhere and water is needed there. We've got people down south with hosepipe bans."
Personal impact
Michael, who is disabled and uses a mobility scooter, recently came out of hospital after cancer treatment. He said: "I live in a one-bedroom flat. My water rates are £57.99 a month. My water is on a meter, and they say I use a bath full of water every day, which is impossible. But when you see that going on, you think, what are they going to do with that? Add that on to our water bills?"
United Utilities response
A United Utilities spokesperson said: "We are aware of the issue with the hydrant near St George's Church and thank residents for bringing this to our attention. The repair is due to be completed this week, and we can reassure customers that their bills will not be impacted by this issue as the damage has occurred before their water meters. We would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused and thank customers for their understanding while we complete this work."
