Houses flooded at Kings Dyke near Whittlesey

ANGLIAN Water has apologised for a burst water main which left distraught residents facing two-feet of sewage spewing into their homes in Whittlesey.

Houses flooded at Kings Dyke near Whittlesey. Flooded home owner Kath Hill with her daughter Jo Hill-Seeking examine the height of the water.

Around half a dozen homes at King’s Dyke were badly damaged by the foul smelling effluent after septic tanks overflowed - and residents were forced to abandon their properties during the clear up operation.

The water company said it was “sorry – in big letters” for the fault which caused water and sewage to erupt from the ground in King’s Dyke on Monday.

Residents had to helped from their homes as the water entered the properties, destroying carpets and furnishings .

74-year-old Kath Hill, who lives in a bungalow just yards away from where the pipe broke closed to Funthams Lane, said: “Nothing is ever going to be the same again.

Houses flooded at Kings Dyke near Whittlesey Flooded home owner Kath Hill and her daughter Jo Hill-Seeking

“It cost thousands of pounds to furnish my home and I put a lot of effort into it. My home meant the world to me.”

Her daughter Jo Hill-Seekings, who supporting her mother after the event, said: “The worst thing is the sewage. There are so many things that have been damaged that need to be replaced. It has been completely chaotic.”

She and other residents have now been forced out of their properties and will have to stay with friends or relatives until their homes are fixed.

Firefighters were called to the scene, and used two ground pumps, two jets and a ground monitor to clear the water after Anglian Water isolated the source of the problem.

Houses flooded at Kings Dyke near Whittlesey. The damaged water main.

Anglian Water spokesman Ciaran Nelson called the incident “horrendous” and said: “My heart goes out to all the residents affected.

“The pipe burst with tremendous force and split the length of the pipe, so there was an awful lot of water coming down.

“We can never really be sure why this happens but will do everything possible to help the residents get back to normal.”

The incident led to the closure of King’s Dyke from 8pm on Tuesday, to replace the broken pipe which supplies water to the whole of Whittlesey, and for temporary repairs to the road. Final repairs to the road were carried out overnight on Wednesday.

Houses flooded at Kings Dyke near Whittlesey

This is not the first time there has been water supply problems in Kings Dyke. Back in November, a burst led to the water supply to 7,000 homes being cut in Whittlesey and the surrounding area for nearly 24 hours. Last month a pipe fracture led to flooding in Bassenhally Road, Whittlesey.

North East Cambridgeshire MP Stephen Barclay has said the flooding was an appalling situation, and has called for answers from Anglian Water.

Councillor Martin Curtis, who represents Whittlesey on Fenland District Council for Whittlesey, has described the situation as unacceptable, and said residents were not getting value from money from Anglian Water.

Houses flooded at Kings Dyke near Whittlesey