Northfield Residents Forced to Evacuate After Burst Water Pipe Floods Homes

Water pressure has restored for water customers on Sunday afternoon following flooding which saw Northfield residents have to push their belongings on to the street due to a burst pipe in Birmingham on Sunday

Severn Trent Water supplies in nine postcode areas were hit as were homes on Bristol Road South in Northfield, seeing 40 families affected as flats evacuated.

Shabnam Sama said that the families who had to leave their homes are now mopping up the damage, the BBC reported.

Sama said she saw "a river" outside her home as water flooded into her garage. Her husband warned neighbours on New House Farm Drive, off Bristol Road South, around 5 am.

She said the flooding began around four or five in the morning when she heard "a gargling noise ... and then smell of sewage," she said.

"We went to look and saw a river outside and the fire brigade and lots going on, so we wondered what had happened".

Severn Trent originally said the repair would be a "lengthy progress" and was likely to take "a few days". Bristol Road will be closed until the repair is completed.

The company responded in a series of tweets to those who were affected or concerned by the flooding.

​Residents of Chester Green were offered a £100 compensation in 2018 from Severn Trent after a water main burst flooded scores of homes.

Former Derby North MP Chris Williamson called the actions of the company “diabolical” and said that the incident demonstrated that privatised water provision was a failure.