Residents of a Scots block of flats were left without water for more than a day, prompting hygiene concerns.
People living in Nisbet Court, a high-rise in the Restalrig area of Edinburgh, found they had no running water at around 4pm on Saturday June 4. The issues were later compounded by a power outrage that affected the block intermittently overnight.
Fuming mum Penella Jane Scott, 29, had been unable to wash her kids over the weekend as a result of the outages. She told Edinburgh Live that her daughter came back from a colour-bomb festival on Saturday only to find she couldn't clean herself up.
Penella said: "It's been a nightmare. It fell on the worst weekend as my nine-year-old daughter, Bella, and my partner were at a colour bomb festival yesterday and obviously covered in powder paint.
"They haven't been able to shower or wash because we have no water. My daughter is prone to eczema and her skin has been so irritated and sore because she's unable to wash."
At around 8am on Sunday, the water returned, without electricity, but less than three hours later the supply was cut off again. Penella claims Scottish Water only issued bottles of water more than 24 hours after the issues began.
To make matters worse for the elderly residents in the building, the lift is currently out of order. Penella said she and others were in a "constant battle" with local authority officers and officials from Scottish Water and Scottish Power for answers and solutions.
She added: "Just the treatment we have had as residents, in general, has been a nightmare. I have an elderly neighbour in her 80s who I had to go to the shops and get water for within the hour yesterday as she was at my door worried.
"That should have been the council. Not 25 hours later."
The City of Edinburgh Council has confirmed that Scottish Power had attended and restored power on Sunday, while work to fully restore the water supply was ongoing. By Monday morning, Penella said water and electricity had finally returned to the building.
A council spokesperson said: "We became aware that Scottish Power were dealing with an issue of an intermittent power supply on Saturday evening but had been notified that the power had been restored. As soon as we were alerted that there was an ongoing power issue in the early hours of Sunday morning housing staff immediately attended to investigate.
"We then arranged for a plumber and joiner to go the block to try and pinpoint the source of the leak so it could be dealt with. As the water pumps were being switched on and off we arranged for bottled water to be delivered to the block.
"Investigations are ongoing but it would appear that the source of the leak was from a private property that was entering the main power supply unit. Officers will work with the property owner to ensure the repairs are fully completed."
A Scottish Power spokesperson added: "We are investigating the issues raised."
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