A disabled man who has covid drank "basically nothing" and struggled to take his medication after a burst pipe left him without tap water for two days.
People across six Merseyside postcodes were left with little or no water over the weekend after a pipe burst in the early hours of Saturday (July 25). The burst pipe on Church Road, Litherland flooded the street, closing it from Netherton Way to Hawthorne Road.
The issue affected around 32,000 people living in the the L21, L30, L9, L23, L10 and L22 postcode areas. As a result, many businesses had to shut and free bottled water was handed out at stations in Crosby, Netherton and Litherland.
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Paul Melling, 68, was affected by the loss of water and he was also unable to leave the house to collect the bottles provided by United Utilities. He had recently tested positive for coronavirus and also suffers from Osteoporosis and arthritis, reducing his mobility.
Paul, who lives alone in Litherland and has difficulty walking as a result of his condition, told the ECHO : “I was feverish and I had a high temperature. It was taking me forever to fill up a glass of water, because it was only sort of dripping out. I couldn’t cook anything, couldn’t have a tea or coffee. It was out of order."
Paul said he drank "basically nothing" all weekend as - at best - water was dribbling out of the tap. He added: "Because I’ve got severe back problems and walking difficulties, trying to get water out of the tap - even standing and waiting so long - was tough. I was trying to let it run into a pan and then drink out of the pan.
"I also have a lot of medication that I have to take - I have to swallow tablets down with water and that was proving hard."
Hoping for help, Paul contacted United Utilities, but was not impressed by the service he received. He said: "I did try to get in touch with them, it took me ages going through all the systems online and I kept getting told that the offices were closed.
"I eventually got through to someone on Sunday who told me there was a place in Netherton (to get water). I explained to him that I had covid and I couldn’t get there.
“Then he said there’s a new one opened at Tesco - I said I can’t get there. In the end I just couldn’t be bothered with it. He didn’t seem to be interested that I was disabled and I had covid and I couldn’t go anywhere."
The pipe was repaired over the weekend, but it wasn't until 10pm on Sunday (July 24) that water supplies returned. However, United Utilities told people on Monday (July 25) that water discolouration may still occur and water pressure would not be back at usual levels.
Paul told the ECHO his tap water was restored by Sunday night, for which he was waiting desperately. About his experience over the weekend, he said: " It was terrible. I had a high temperature, I couldn’t drink. I was just basically stuck in bed."
On Monday, United Utilities apologised for the disruption caused by the burst pipe, but stated that it is still unknown what caused it over the weekend. People affected by the situation are entitled to compensation.
Regarding Paul's situation, a spokesperson for United Utilities told the ECHO : “We are sorry to hear of Mr Melling’s difficulties during the water burst at the weekend. We have spoken to Mr Melling and he has now been registered to our Priority Services scheme.
“Anyone who would benefit from extra support in the event of a loss of water, whether due to age, ill health, disability, mental health problems, financial worries or language barriers, can sign up for our Priority Services register. It is a free service which means we can respond quickly to those with particular needs. Last weekend, we delivered 10,000 bottles of water directly to those on our Priority Services register and local nursing homes.
“To find out more and sign up, visit www.unitedutilities.com/help-and-support/priority-services/ or call 0345 072 6093. We also encourage people to pass this information on to family, friends and neighbours who may benefit."
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