A FAMILY have been left with a huge 30 metre TRENCH surrounding their home after United Utilities allegedly gave them the wrong advice about a leak.
Frustrated homeowners Vincenzo and Lisa Pranzo are stuck with the huge gaping hole bordering their property after their "nightmare" ordeal.
The couple have slammed the national water company after claiming they were following the guidance of a UU employee - who was wrong.
They initially received a visit from a United Utilities inspector at their home in South Ribble, Lancashire, on October 1 last year.
Lisa says the assessor told her the company were checking local properties for leaks, due to a recent spate of high water usage in the area.
After examining the home in Walton-Le-Dale, she was informed that there was a leak in the corner which required repair work.
Upon discussing the matter with Vincenzo, the puzzled pair realised that there were no pipes in the specific part of the property the inspector had raised concerns about.
But they claim their concerns were brushed off by the assessor, who assured them it was the source of the leak.Lisa said: "Who am I to argue with someone who works for United Utilities and is supposedly qualified?"
She explained the water services company later returned and began to dig in the supposed problematic spot, but found no visible water.
The mum told how she then went into "panic mode" when she was advised the leak was "definitely" under their house.
"He explained to me, as the leak's under my property, United Utilities don't fix it, I'm liable to fix that," Lisa added.
They were told the only solutions were to either dig a trench and get a stop tap with an insulated box fitted outside, or to fork out £2,500 for United Utilities to use a mole to create a smaller hole to displace the soil.
Yet while they were mulling over their options, Vincenzo's foot suddenly began to sink through the ground as he stood at the top of the driveway.
Lisa explained: "As he's walking from the path onto the road, his foot almost sank into the stones - a sinkhole had kind of appeared at the front of the property."
The mum was aware a pipe runs directly underneath the spot due to a previous issue 12-years-ago, when UU had to replace it.
"We're thinking at the time, this is where the leak is, obviously
there's a large pool of water here," Lisa said.
The couple's eldest son - a pipe fitter - suggested the problem could be due to a faulty fitting, but during a re-inspection by United Utilities, the couple were told that the leak was simply a "random pool of water".
Lisa said: "He turned up laughing, he's not taking us on. I've lived in this house for 14 years and I've never seen, even in the most torrential rain, a random pool of water.
"My house is on an incline, the path is about 30cm higher than the
front of the house. He's then trying to tell me that the water that's
pooled at the top of the path is due to the leak under the house.
"I said 'I'm not being funny and I'm obviously not a plumber myself
but water doesn't run up hill.'"
Vincenzo and his son then decided to dig a hole in the path to decipher where the leak was coming from.
The father-son duo discovered the water was actually travelling from the top of the drive, rather than from underneath their family home.
However, the family claims the inspector refused to accept their explanation for the leak - leaving them with no choice but to opt for the inspector's original suggestion to dig up the trench in the New Year.
Lisa continued: "My husband spent three weeks digging this trench - that had to be 80cm deep and 30 metres long - which is no mean feat in the freezing cold.
"But he did it because there was going to be no other way we were going to be able to afford to do this."
TRENCH TROUBLES
She says they were then sent an email saying it would take 3-4 months
to connect the water supply, due to a backlog at the council regarding applying for work permits.
The mum eventually managed to rearrange a further inspection of the issue with UU after stressing the severity of the leak and the huge hole consuming their driveway.
"The fella that came out, hats off to him, brilliant - I told him what
the other fella had said and he's shaking his head," Lisa said.
"He raised the job immediately and they were out the next morning- it
took them an hour to dig down, find the leak which had nothing to do
with my pipe, my pipe was fine.
"It was, as I said, the connection that United Utilities had put in - it was faulty, it was leaking- they fixed it."
Yet the family were now lumbered with the mammoth trench outside their home - which resulted in her youngest son badly hurting his foot on the rubble.
The eight-year-old then suffered from an infection, which led to him having to take antibiotics.
Although United Utilities stumped up the costs of the repair job, Lisa was told they would have to fix the trench - which they never needed to dig - themselves.
"We've invested a lot of money in this house and it's one of the only
things we've got of any worth and they've made us do that for no reason," she fumed.
"The least that they should have done is offer to help us put it straight.
"My husband is working full time and has to try and fit that in now
around work- I just don't think they understand what they've done.
"He worked really hard and I feel for him. The words '30 metre trench'
don't do any justice to the pictures and how hard he worked.
'NIGHTMARE'
"It's just been a nightmare from start to finish and if United Utilities trained these people better we wouldn't be in this situation we're in now."
United Utilities state that their policy stands as such that private
home owners are responsible for the maintenance of water supply pipes
that bring water into their homes from the mains on the street.
On both occasions, the leaks were on Mrs Pranzo’s property.
A United Utilities spokesperson, said: "We are sorry that Mrs Pranzo
is disappointed with the service she has received.
"Whilst we will try to help customers when a leak has been identified
on their property, it is ultimately their responsibility to maintain the water supply pipe to their home.
"We are still in contact with the customer and are working with them
to resolve the issue."
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