'You’re scared to go away in case it floods again'

Jane Barton said the floods had worsened her health issues

A disabled woman whose property has been flooded twice by a burst water main has said her mental and physical health are “really suffering”.

Jane Barton’s home in Kiveton Park, near Rotherham, said the last flood on 1 September affected the ground floor of her home and the garden and drive.

Yorkshire Water said it was offering a £1,000 goodwill payment as an interim measure to all customers who were flooded but Mrs Barton said the damage caused to her home was in excess of £5,000.

“It’s soul destroying, you're scared to go anywhere to do anything because you don’t know when it’s going to happen again."

"My mental health is really suffering. We are all terrified it is going to happen again," she said.

Mrs Barton said the main first burst in June 2023 but the resulting flood had mainly been outside the house.

However, on 1 September the water reached a height of 1.5ft (45cm) inside her home.

She said it took Yorkshire Water five hours to turn off the water.

“Yorkshire Water came and basically moved bags and bags of slurry from under the house, took all the floors up.

"All the floors had moved and they were damp. The whole house is damp. I’m not convinced it’s dry, even now."

She said it had also done a lot of damage outside.

"It’s destroyed my drive. It’s destroyed my front garden. That’s like a swimming pool when it rains.”

Rother Valley MP Jake Richards has said he is meeting Yorkshire Water executives in the next few weeks

Rother Valley MP Jake Richards said Yorkshire Water was “refusing to engage with residents who have suffered”.

"I’m absolutely furious with Yorkshire Water frankly, residents here in Kiveton Park are really upset – rightly – because their houses have been ruined and now some of the people are getting ill because of what’s happened."

Yorkshire Water said it apologised for the inconvenience and upset caused by the burst water main and it understood the situation was "distressing" for people like Mrs Barton.

“We have implemented pressure management measures to reduce the likelihood of future bursts in the area and are investigating other measures to prevent repeat incidents in the short term."

It said it was planning to replace a large number of mains in the area over the next two years which would "reduce the likelihood of further incidents".

The company said it would also be visiting residents again next week to explain the work being done.

"We are fully committed to compensating every customer and in the meantime will be offering a £1,000 goodwill payment as an interim measure to all customers who were flooded," they added.

Mrs Barton said the gesture was not enough.

“I was so insulted when they offered me that payment.

“I don’t want a goodwill gesture. I want to get my house back," she said.

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