A family have been left feeling 'really low' and resorting to showering at their neighbours' houses because of a 'massive' leak at their Nottingham City Homes property. Helen Hyde, who has been living at the property in Clifton since 2008, explained the family had been using a portable toilet in the wake of problems caused by the bathroom leak.
Ms Hyde, who lives with her 25-year-old son who has autism, has complex regional pain syndrome, where a person experiences persistent severe and debilitating pain, fibromyalgia, a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body, and osteoarthritis, a condition that causes joints to become painful and stiff.
More than two weeks ago, the 55-year-old said she got in touch with Nottingham City Homes to say a pipe was leaking from her bathroom into her kitchen, causing damage. But, after a series of phone calls and workers going to the property, the problem has still not been permanently fixed.
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Ms Hyde explained her home had been badly damaged and that water had been isolated. And she said the family had been going to their neighbours' properties for showers as a result.
She said: "I want to live to my standards and not be forced to live like this. As we've had to move so many things around the house and, because of my disabilities, I'm in agony and feel exhausted, I just feel really low.
"We've not long had the kitchen repainted, and it's ruined that now. In the first instance, black bags and tape was used by someone to temporarily fix it as they said the grouting and silicone needed doing.
"I was then told by Nottingham City Homes I'd be having to wait until August or September to get repairs done, and, when they did arrange for people to come around sooner, they didn't tell me when, so I wasn't always in. One person came around and said the leak had got 'massive'.
"The bath panel was broken by accident when someone was looking at it, too. So we've got a broken bath, a bath and shower that can't be used, the water has been isolated, we've been given a portable toilet in the meantime so we can go to the loo and there's a hole in the ceiling.
"When I asked them how I was supposed to wash, they told me to 'strip wash in the kitchen'. The water has also been going into my son's bedroom, too, and he's really been struggling to cope with the changes of what's been happening because of his autism, it's screwed him up emotionally.
"I just feel as though no-one cares, everyone seems to have been passing the buck. I feel let down by the standard of service I've received, and communication has just been really poor."
A spokesperson for Nottingham City Homes apologised and said: "We're sorry about the inconvenience caused by plumbing issues remaining unresolved at this property until now. We scheduled a plumber to visit today (Monday, August 1), which was the first opportunity to complete the repairs in one visit, who has replaced a substantial amount of pipework to fix the leak and reinstate the water supply to the bathroom.
"Once the property has dried out enough, we will be back in touch with Mrs Hyde to organise any further works which may be need as a result of the leak. We appreciate that turning the water off will have caused Mrs Hyde and her family difficulties.
"This happened because the call was received outside core hours and the amount of work needed meant the only option at the time was to isolate water to the bathroom. We provided a temporary toilet and water remained working downstairs."
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