Low water pressure affecting Coventry homes

The water pressure issues have been affecting residents in the Binley area of Coventry since late July.

Water pressure drops so low for a group of residents in Binley, Coventry, it has left some of them unable to shower at certain times of the day - and in the dark as to the cause.

Richard Watt, 51, who lives on Wilson Green, said the problems arose in late June.

"Before that, everything was fine," he said, adding two of his neighbours faced the same issue.

He said service provider Severn Trent told him there was no issue with its pipes - a response frustrating the customer in light of his neighbours' travails. Severn Trent told the BBC it would be investigating the matter.

Richard Watt says his water pressure goes so low his wife cannot take a shower late at night or early in the morning.

Mr Watt has lived at the property for the last 23 years and says he and his wife have never had any issues with water pressure before, with the problem seeming to emerge only overnight between 01:00 and 06:00.

• Listen: Low water pressure in parts of Coventry

He said he contacted Severn Trent to make a complaint not long after they experienced the problem but was told the issue must be inside his property.

"We've talked to plumbers, we've talked to neighbours, we've also been [in touch] with the shower manufacturer and put in complaints to Severn Trent, and they're trying to say to us 'oh no it's not our water pipes, it's your house'.

"But we're not sure because we have at least two other neighbours who have the same thing."

Severn Trent said while customers' water pressure could sometimes fluctuate, including overnight periods, pressure requirements at the properties in question were being met.

The company said it was "responsible for supplying at least 0.7bar of water pressure to the boundary, we always aim for more, and in this case the properties are exceeding all requirements".

It added: "Internal plumbing and pressure beyond the property boundary is not in our remit, but we will investigate for the customer.

"Water pressure can be affected by various factors, including optimisation of the network, internal pipework, and geography of an area.

"It's important that all of our customers have enough water they need. By optimising our network overnight we can ensure more water gets around – especially after the driest and hottest spring and summer on record."

Severn Trent said it had a "responsibility" to "provide a guaranteed service standard which is outlined by our regulator (OFWAT)".

It added: "There was an issue at a neighbour's property where plumbers attended - this was due to a blockage on the private pipework."