Burst pipe misery for residents of Falkirk flat block

Homeowners living on the top levels of Parkfoot Court in Falkirk were left stunned when they saw the streams emerge from the ceiling on the inside and outside of their flats on Saturday.

The gushing water, which filtered down through two bin chute cupboards, could be seen as low down as the tenth floor.

To compound matters, residents who initially reported the issue to the council were told no plumbers were available to fix it. However, the leaking main was isolated on Sunday and the necessary repairs were completed on Monday, leaving those living on the affected levels high and none-too-dry.

The burst pipe is just the latest concern for Parkfoot Court residents, who were told earlier this month that a faulty lift which has broken down on several occasions since mid-April won’t be upgraded until next year.

Jetta McSorley, who stays on the 12th floor, branded the situation “a disgrace”.

She said: “I’m mad. The water was coming down all the electric wires.

“It’s been down to the tenth floor. It was running down the walls and down the outside of the windows – the water was cascading down each window.

“The council came up to fix it but it took a while. The place was terrible and they sent sent the electrician in to check.

“The 13th floor was a disgrace, I’m not joking when I say it was like a waterfall.

“There was still a puddle the morning after the council came to fix it.”

Having lived in Parkfoot Court for 26 years, Ms McSorley says she has never known the building to experience as many problems as it’s currently facing.

She added: “I’m never going in the lift again and I’m not the only one.

“My family walk up the stairs when they visit me twice a week because of it.

“I think it’s ridiculous we have to wait until next year for money to be spent on it.”

Falkirk Council confirmed slight water ingress had been reported at two flats in Parkfoot Court due to the leak.

A spokesman said: “The problem was caused by a leaking mains water pipe in the cold water storage tank room above the 14th floor.

“An emergency plumber and two members of staff attended and managed to remove the build-up of water in the tank room and repair the leak.”

Earlier this month the Falkirk Herald told how residents living on even floors had been avoiding using the lift in Parkfoot Court for months in case they became stuck.

The local authority has since met with the Parkfoot Court Residents’ Committee to discuss the situation.

A council spokesman previously told the Falkirk Herald: “We are taking this matter very seriously.

“Our contractors have indicated that the faults on the lifts vary each time and we recognise that this situation cannot continue.

“We have plans to upgrade the lifts in our investment programme with a planned start date early in the new year and we’re optimistic that this will resolve the situation.

“In the meantime we apologise for the ongoing problems and we will do everything we can to ensure the lifts continue to operate normally.”