A NORTH Belfast woman who suffers from epilepsy and PTSD has spent over a week living with sewage and blocked pipes in the home she shares with her three children.
Sonia Kavanagh, who lives in Thorndale Avenue off the Antrim Road, last week noticed water coming up the toilet and other pipes around the house. Since then, the toilet has been blocked while continuing to fill up, and the house has been plagued by the smell of sewage and dirty water. The house is managed by Newington Housing Association (NHA).
"I rang the housing association out of hours number," said Sonia, "They came out at four o'clock in the morning and told me that they couldn't do anything. They spotted the manhole was full and the toilet was half-full."
The problem has continued to worsen over the last number of days, and has left the family unable to use their washing machine, shower or toilet.
Sonia and her children have been living in the house for four years. All three of her children have autism, and one is pregnant. Sonia said the effect of this blockage on her and her family has been "terrible" and has left her feeling helpless.
Sonia said that mould and mushrooms had been found growing in beams and floorboards in the house, and that extensive work is needed to bring the house up to living standards. She said she would like to be rehoused, and that her mental health is severely deteriorating.
In response Newington Housing Association said: "On Friday 9 October the tenant contacted NHA’s office and NHA instructed a contractor to attend the property, however the contractor was unable to resolve the blockage.
"On Saturday 10 October the contractor returned to the property and made a further attempt to clear the blockage, but the issue remained unresolved.
"On Monday 12 October, the contractor reported that the issue might relate to NI Water’s infrastructure. NI Water attended that day but referred the matter back to NHA. NHA then arranged for another contractor to rod the sewer. The contractor reported a possible collapsed drain in the entry, which was believed to fall within NI Water’s responsibility."
The statement continued: "On Tuesday 13 October NHA contacted NI Water, which attended that afternoon and excavated part of the entry. The works continued into the following day.
"On Wednesday 14 October, NI Water identified a collapsed mains pipe that required replacement. The repair was completed late on Wednesday night, and NHA received confirmation that the work had been carried out. NI Water also advised of a potential issue where the pipe entered the property through the yard.
"On Thursday 15 October NHA appointed a contractor to investigate and undertake any further necessary work, including excavation of the area identified by NI Water. The contractor remained at the property and attempted to jet the drain to provide temporary relief for the tenant."
Works were due to begin on Friday, yesterday, to "excavate part of the yard and locate the source of the remaining problem".
When asked whether the family had been provided with alternative arrangements while the issue was ongoing, NHA said that the, "family has been provided with access to a vacant apartment within a short walking distance and is currently using it."
"Other temporary accommodation options, including a hotel or Airbnb, were discussed but were not suitable because the tenant needs to care for six dogs," they continued.
When asked if the family would be rehoused, NHA said "If the tenant wishes to pursue rehousing, the housing team will work with them to begin a transfer assessment".
They concluded by saying: "NHA will continue working at the property until the necessary repairs are complete and will maintain regular contact with the tenant throughout. We recognise that this is a difficult time for the family and are making every effort to resolve the issue as quickly as possible."
