Disabled Woman Reports Health Decline Following Repeated Flooding from Burst Water Main

A disabled woman has reported a significant decline in her mental and physical health following two instances of her property being flooded by a ruptured water main. Jane Barton stated that her residence in Kiveton Park, situated close to Rotherham, experienced damage to its ground floor, garden, and drive during the most recent flood on September 1. Yorkshire Water announced an interim goodwill payment of £1,000 for all affected customers, but Mrs. Barton indicated that the damage to her property surpassed £5,000. Mrs. Barton expressed, “It’s soul destroying, you’re scared to go anywhere to do anything because you don’t know when it’s going to happen again.” She added, “My mental health is really suffering. We are all terrified it is going to happen again.” Mrs. Barton recounted that the water main initially burst in June 2023, though that incident primarily caused flooding outside her residence. Nevertheless, on September 1, the water level inside her home reached 1.5ft (45cm). She reported that Yorkshire Water required five hours to shut off the water supply. Mrs. Barton stated, “Yorkshire Water came and basically moved bags and bags of slurry from under the house, took all the floors up.” She continued, “All the floors had moved and they were damp. The whole house is damp. I’m not convinced it’s dry, even now.” She also noted extensive damage to the exterior of her property. She elaborated, “It’s destroyed my drive. It’s destroyed my front garden. That’s like a swimming pool when it rains.” Jake Richards, the Member of Parliament for Rother Valley, asserted that Yorkshire Water was “refusing to engage with residents who have suffered.” He added, “I’m absolutely furious with Yorkshire Water frankly, residents here in Kiveton Park are really upset – rightly – because their houses have been ruined and now some of the people are getting ill because of what’s happened.” Yorkshire Water issued an apology for the disruption and distress resulting from the burst water main, acknowledging that the circumstances were “distressing” for individuals such as Mrs. Barton. The company stated, “We have implemented pressure management measures to reduce the likelihood of future bursts in the area and are investigating other measures to prevent repeat incidents in the short term.” It also announced plans to replace numerous water mains in the vicinity over the coming two years, a step expected to “reduce the likelihood of further incidents.” The utility provider confirmed it would revisit residents next week to detail the ongoing work. They further stated, “We are fully committed to compensating every customer and in the meantime will be offering a £1,000 goodwill payment as an interim measure to all customers who were flooded.” Mrs. Barton, however, deemed the offered gesture insufficient. She remarked, “I was so insulted when they offered me that payment.“I don’t want a goodwill gesture. I want to get my house back.”