Residents of Eye Road, Brome, rant about hydrant flooding issues

Fed-up villagers have issued a desperate appeal for help after suffering years of flooding near their homes.

Lynne Ainge, who lives in Eye Road, Brome, said that, every time a water hydrant is used, a pipe that runs along their road pushes water above the surface, causing extensive damage to a number of properties.

Mrs Ainge, who has lived in the village since 1986, said it has happened at least five times since 2019.

“Every time the hydrant, or water hammer as they call it, gets used, or they check the water pressure from it, it bursts the pipe,” she said.

“The road is like a patchwork of repairs and the problem is just moving further up the pipe as it finds the next weak piece to give way.”

The latest incident happened when fire crews attended Brome Industrial Park last month, when £300,000 of damage was caused in an act of arson.

“After the fire had been sorted out, I went up and spoke to a firefighter and told him about the problem with the flooding,” said Mrs Ainge.

“But by the time I got back to the house, which was about two minutes later, there was already water coming up through the road.”

Some residents have complained to Essex and Suffolk Water about the issue, with Mrs Ainge keen to see it prioritised.

“This has gone on for far too long,” she said. “The whole pipe needs to be fixed so it is future-proofed.

“We have got a new Green Party MP for the area and I cannot imagine gallons of water being lost down the drains from the mains water supply is something he would be too happy with.

“We dread it every time the hydrant is used. It causes such a hassle and mess at the front of our houses. There needs to be some form of joined-up thinking to come up with a solution, which will help everybody.”

Neighbour Suzanne Stevens, who has lived in the road with her husband, Clive, since 2002, said damage from constant flooding had made it necessary to use a dehumidifier in her front room to combat the threat of damp.

“We get water up to the brickwork all around the base of the property, and it gets absorbed into the building,” she told the Diss Express. “It is just endless.

“We have got pictures of every flood we have had. We’ve had to have our driveway dug up, and a lot of repairs carried out at our own cost – all as a result of the water.”

The homeowner claimed a workman has attributed part of the problem to using plastic fittings on what is a 1960s metal pipe.

“That cannot be an effective join,” she said. “The last time water came up, I was outside and it was like standing on a water bed – the ground was wobbling under my feet.

“It must be doing untold damage to the road surface and could possibly be affecting our home’s foundations.

“Someone needs to come out, acknowledge the problem and sort out a full repair of the whole pipe to resolve what is a long-running problem.”

A spokesman for Essex and Suffolk Water said they take their responsibility to fix leaking pipes very seriously.

They added: “We are sorry for any inconvenience caused to our customers and want to reassure them that we will be raising this with the Fire Authority.”