Liverpool students without water for over a week due to ‘suspicious’ contamination in halls

‘We can’t cook, we can’t use the toilet, we can’t have a bath’

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Liverpool students have been left without water for over a week due to a “suspicious” contamination of the water supply.

According to the Liverpool ECHO, multiple university students were left without a water supply in both their bathrooms and kitchens at Borden Court, a private accommodation block on London Road.

After the water was first switched off on November 6th, students are now “freaking out” about their living situation, with some having to walk 20 minutes to go to the toilet in temporary facilities.

Borden Court residents are unable to cook meals or use the bathroom or shower facilities in the building following the disruption.

Having originally fixed the problem on November 11th, the building’s management company was forced to switch off the water again due to the contamination and said they were taking the matter “extremely seriously”.

Local police had also been informed about what they claimed was a suspected “suspicious” contamination of the building’s water supply.

Krishna Kotowar, a 24-year-old master’s student at the University of Liverpool, said the issue is “severely impacting residents’ quality of life and well-being”.

Voicing his concerns about the lack of water supply, Krishna told The Liverpool Tab that the situation had lead to “significant stress” on himself, as well as his fellow residents.

The international student from India said: “On November 6th, the water supply was first disrupted due to contamination issues. Although it was briefly restored on November 11th, the problem has recurred, and as of now, we have been without water, with no resolution in sight.

“We can’t cook, we can’t use the toilet, we can’t have a bath. They arranged a bathroom for us in (part of) John Moores University, which is 20 minutes away from this place.

“We have to walk 20 minutes to use the toilet. Basic hygiene needs are not met, leading to significant stress and inconvenience”.

Krishna and other students living at Borden Court requested temporary hotel accommodation from the management of the building, but were originally met with no hope despite their living situation: “When we asked for hotel accommodation, the insurance came round to inspect and told us they will let us know.

In conversation with The Liverpool Tab, he confirmed that the property managers had eventually provided the residents with “alternate accommodation” in different areas of the city, based on availability.

“The one they have provided to me is Calico.”

However, Krishna said: “I’m freaking out. This prolonged disruption has taken a serious toll on my mental health. My friend has gone to stay in a hotel now because she can’t live in this property. She’s paying for it out of her own money”.

Borden Court is under the management of Inspired Property Management (IPM).

A spokesperson for IPM told the Liverpool ECHO: “As soon as we were made aware of a potential contamination of the water supply at Borden Court, we immediately arranged for a contractor to attend site and resolve the issue, allowing for the water supply to be switched back on the same day.

“We were informed earlier this week that there had been a further incident resulting in the contamination of the water tank, meaning that once again the water had to be switched off and bottled water supplied to all residents. Given the suspicious nature of the contamination, the police have been informed and we understand that they are investigating the matter

“We are investigating installing temporary toilet facilities and are also arranging for the student residents at Borden Court to be moved to temporary accommodation if required, at no cost to them, whilst a deep clean of the water tank takes place. As soon as the deep clean is completed and the contamination has been analysed, residents can return to the building. We take any incidents such as this extremely seriously and regret the disruption it has caused to residents.”

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