After moving into new apartments, disgusted homeowners report ‘poo coming out’ of showers and ‘puddles of excrement’ in their houses.
The tenants of a former municipal building in Totnes, Devon, have accused the builders of unfinished construction work and horrific living conditions.
Videos of the Rainbow View building have also shown brown ‘slurry’ and water spilling out near the building and into a nearby road where children play.
Nikki Clargo, a resident who moved in only 18 months ago, asserts that the 20 apartments have had “dozens” of problems, including sewage from the toilet running out of her shower drain.
The 37-year-old realised that the problem affected everyone in the building only after she became impatient with building management’s poor reaction and complained to her neighbours.
Nikki, an oceanographer, said: ‘It’s been horrendous to be honest, it’s been in the garden a few times as well – this is not the first time it has happened.
‘At first I didn’t realise what it was, it’s like a slurry, but I can even see toilet paper on my patio now – so it’s obvious what it is.’
After stating that her concerns to building administrators Apex Property Management fell on deaf ears, she even temporarily relocated to a new residence with a partner.
Nikki also claimed that she was told she would have to pay for the sewage cleanup before the firm eventually paid to have her shower cleaned yesterday.
She continued: ‘Pools of sewage even flow out of manhole covers outside the building and fill our driveway.
‘I think the management relied on the fact that the residents were not talking to one another, there’s no real communal area so we were all complaining individually.’
The residents are said to pay £660 each year which is soon to increase to manage the upkeep, but Nikki said the ‘building is falling apart’.
She added: ‘It was only when the poo started coming out of my shower that I decided to talk to the others to warn them – only then did I realise that everyone had problems being ignored.
‘It’s now been running into a storm drain and into the River Dart, but I’m just staggered by the lack of response to literal s**t running in the streets though.’
She added: ‘They’ve got other developments in the south west under construction – but this one isn’t finished.
‘They claim to respond to problems as soon as they arise – but we have email chains going back over a year showing they have ignored us. They haven’t got a leg to stand on.’
However, real estate business Totnes Property 1, which handles resident complaints on behalf of the original builders, attributed the problems on homeowners flushing unsuitable materials down the toilets.
A spokeswoman for Totnes Property 1 said that “immediate steps” were being taken to fix the matter as fast as possible.
It also said that it has asked the original construction/contractor business to return to the site and resolve any drainage system concerns.
If it were not practicable, it was said that a different groundwork business would be tasked to “sort it out.”
A spokesman for Totnes Property 1 said: ‘We have always acted promptly when informed about issues. This is no exception.
‘The original company attended on the previous occasion and dug up one of the drains to resolve the issue.
‘Clearly, this didn’t solve it once and for all. Rest assured that we will do everything possible to ensure that it does not happen again. We are working with Apex Management in relation to this issue.
‘We have been on site all day sorting out the situation. An email is going out tonight to all residents informing them that the drains are now free-flowing and operating normally.
‘It was observed that some of the blockages were caused by inappropriate items which have been flushed down the toilet or disposed of in sinks.’
A spokesman for Apex Property Management said: ‘The management are aware of the situation at this property and have been working with local contractors and the freeholder for the property to resolve the issues since being made aware on the issue on January 3.
‘Apex staff are on site today, January 4, to liaise with concerned residents, and will be issuing communications to all residents once there is further certainty on when the issue will be rectified.’
Cllr Jonathan Hawkins, South Hams District Council’s Executive Member for Environmental Health, said: ‘Our officer visited the site this afternoon following a call from a concerned resident about the sewage coming from a manhole.
‘At the time of the visit, the sewage that had leaked over the property was being cleaned up by a contractor. The council works with housing agents and landlords to secure improvements to properties where necessary.
‘We have spoken to the resident today to ask for some further information regarding their property.’
A spokesperson for South West Water said: ‘We attended the location yesterday and found our assets to be operating as expected.
‘Unfortunately, the issue is with the private asset which is blocked and causing flooding. We advised the customer to engage a contractor.’