City tower blocks without water, affecting 1,000

Residents say they have been without water since Monday morning

Residents of three tower blocks in Birmingham have been left without water since Monday morning.

About 1,000 people are being impacted in Medway Tower, Severn Tower and Thames Tower in Nechells.

The mains supply being switched off has been caused by an "unanticipated underground burst which occurred whilst carrying out pipe replacement work to the blocks," Birmingham City Council said.

"I've seen people fill up a mop bucket and get back on the bus," said Abigail Delaney who runs a local youth club.

Abigail Delaney says it is disgusting that there was no warning for residents

Ms Delaney's club, free@last, has been open to residents to take showers and fill up anything they have with water.

Birmingham City Council apologised and said it was "providing water to all residents and ensuring toilet facilities are re-instated as soon as possible".

Contractors and specialists were on-site, working to restore supplies as quickly as possible, the authority added.

"I think for around a 1,000 people to go without water without any notice in 2025, is really disgusting," Ms Delaney said.

Local MP Shabana Mahmood said site managers expected the repairs to take three working days, and that "new pipe is required to be run from Thames Tower car park up to Oliver Street".

Stephanie Shillam said she has had to spend £20 on drinking water

Father-of-five Matthew Rollings said he had relied heavily on free@last.

"We had no provisions or no facilities to use the bathroom," he said.

Another resident, Stephanie Shillam, said she had had to spend £20 on drinking water.

"All we know is that we are entitled to ten litres of water which I'm having to flush down the toilet," she said.

"I can't clean my house or bathe my son," Ms Shillam added.

Hersi Sallah said he and others were going back and forth to a mosque to collect water.

Bloomsbury Estate Management Board, which runs the towers, has also been contacted.

Hersi Sallah said residents were going back and forth to the mosque to fetch water