MP Josh Dean has written to water company bosses to demand action and a meeting over the supply fiasco affecting hundreds of homes on the Stortford Fields estate.
As the latest heatwave, the third in seven weeks, peaks today (Thursday, July 9), residents on the massive development off Hadham Road are into a fourth day of an intermittent service of either no water or just a dribble.
They are unable to flush the toilet, shower, cook, wash clothes or dishes, or even wash their hands on what is the second day of the UK Health Security Agency’s amber heat health alert for eastern England, which runs until 9pm on Sunday (July 12).
Picture: iStock
The situation is causing problems for parents bottle-feeding babies, for the elderly, the disabled and vulnerable people with health conditions, including one woman who is recovering from chemotherapy.
Stortford Fields is supplied by Independent Water Networks Ltd (IWNL), approved by Ofwat to run water and/or wastewater services for specific new housing developments within Affinity Water’s regional supply area.
IWNL has been resending a single water tanker to the estate to boost supplies – but on Thursday morning that vehicle broke down.
Independent Water Networks Ltd says it is setting up a bottled water station on Stortford Fields. Photo: iStock/Narai Chal
Customers on its priority list, including families with children under five, have been told by IWNL they will not receive bottled water as the company has maintained a supply of water – albeit a dribble in many cases – within a 12-hour period.
However, in its latest update to customers, at 3.19pm, IWNL said it had deployed a tanker containing 30,000 litres of water, with a back-up tanker on site if required, and would be opening a bottled water station for customers. “We will update the website with the location as soon as it is available,” it said.
By contrast, in the early hours of Wednesday, Affinity Water delivered bottles to customers elsewhere in Bishop’s Stortford who had been without water on Monday and Tuesday evenings.
Hertford and Stortford Labour MP Mr Dean’s team held an emergency meeting with Affinity Water this morning. Afterwards, the MP wrote to Sam Hockman, chief executive of IWNL’s parent company, BU-UK Infrastructure Group, IWNL’s water networks director Charlie Thackeray and Affinity Water’s chief executive Mark Garth.
Hertford and Stortford MP Josh Dean
He said: “I have been contacted by a number of residents living on Stortford Fields and across our town regarding ongoing issues with intermittent and unreliable water supply over the past four days.
“They have informed me that they have been unable to carry out daily activities including cooking, washing and basic hygiene, which I’m sure you will agree is wholly unacceptable.
“My team held an emergency meeting with Affinity Water this morning to discuss the urgency of this issue. Despite being assured the matter had been resolved and that all households should have had their water supply restored, residents continue to report issues. This includes families with young and disabled children.
“The communication from Independent Water Networks Ltd has been extremely disappointing. Residents have informed me that you have failed to share meaningful information with them, and IWNL has failed to keep my office up to date.
“Please urgently outline what action you are taking to resolve this situation, including steps taken to date.
“I would also like to meet with you and Affinity Water at the earliest opportunity to review what steps were taken to keep residents informed and supported throughout this incident, how you will prevent it from happening in the future, and what compensation my residents can expect.”
The Elm View care home on Stortford Fields is unaffected, as are the Avanti Grange secondary and Avanti Brook primary schools, which have their own water tanks on site which provide at least two days’ worth of water for all school needs.
On Tuesday, in relation to other parts of Stortford, Affinity said that water was being used faster than it could refill its storage tanks and move it through its network. It also reported pumping problems. On Wednesday it said that all affected customers in the CM23 postcode area should now have had supplies restored.