Bournemouth flats' residents prepare to face Christmas without water

Most of the residents in the 26 flats in Bournemouth's Arnewood Court have been without water for a week

Residents at a block of flats are facing a Christmas without water.

Problems started at Arnewood Court in Bournemouth on 15 December when low pressure began to affect supplies.

Foxes Property Management blamed local development which it said had "drawn the water" supply, and said a new pump needed to be fitted at the flats.

South West Water admitted there had been a drop in pressure on the network but said it was "still meeting our pressure standards".

Father-of-two Nuno Gomes, 36, whose wife Sofia is pregnant, said he only had cold water in the kitchen and no water at all in the rest of his flat.

"We've been buying water and going to families' houses to take showers," he said.

'Back-and-forth standoff'

He added he had been told the earliest supplies would be fixed was 4 January.

"We just don't know what we're going to do until then," he added.

Flat owner and mother-of-two Angela Fletcher, 51, said there had been a "back-and-forth standoff" between Bournemouth Water - a subsidiary of South West Water - and Foxes Property Management as to who should fix the issues.

Steve Cox, from Foxes Property Management, said: "There's been two giant blocks of flats built and a large hotel, we believe those properties have drawn the water."

He said the low pressure meant supplies weren't reaching the two holding tanks on the roof.

"The only way forward is to install a pump, that could cost in the region of £20,000 - until then the flats are valueless.

"This is something that we can get sorted in six weeks, we can't get it sorted in six hours."

In a statement, South West Water said: "There has been a drop in pressure on the network.

"However, we have investigated this previously and found that we are still meeting our pressure standards.

"It is the responsibility of the landlord to ensure that water is reaching the higher floors."