An Edinburgh mum living in Leith's Banana Flats has been left without hot water for three weeks as well as dirty black grime spewing from her kitchen sink and washing machine.
Demi Coleman has hit out at the council after trying to secure a move to another property for the past four years, saying her flat at Cables Wynd House is unfit for purpose and unsafe for her two young boys.
Demi says that an issue with old pipes in her home has caused horrible black water to overflow from her sink for the last four years and is also being flushed through her washing machine leaving her unable to wash her children's clothes in clean water.
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Speaking to Edinburgh Live , the 28-year-old added that drug addicts in the stairwell have also been trying her door at night and shooting up in front of her children.
She said: "I've lived here for about ten years and for four years now a problem with the pipes has been causing my sink to erupt with dirty water due to repeated blockages which the council just blame on the building being old.
"I've got a newborn baby and a four-year-old who I've not been able to bath or wash their clothes in clean water since the start of the month as I've had no heating or hot water. A health visitor has also recommended to the council that I be moved due to safety and health risks, but it hasn't made a difference.
"I can't even wash my baby's bottles in clean and sterile water and my oldest boy suffers with asthma and has been unwell numerous times. He was recently sick and I couldn't even shower him properly in hot water, it's not fair on either of them.
"I had to call the council's emergency repair team over the weekend when the sink was blocked again and pouring out black water. A plumber said there was a severe blockage and had to contact am emergency jetter who got rid of the problem but they've done it before and it doesn't work long term.
"I'm having to take my kids to my mum's as they're used to being bathed before bed. The council have also told me they can provide blow heaters but I obviously can't afford to have two of those on the go non-stop."
Demi, a pupil support worker, added that every time it rains, the issue with the dirty water starts again and has returned home numerous times to find it overflowing in her sink and onto the floor.
A gas engineer also visited the flat on December 13 to carry out conversion works on her boiler, but reportedly wasn't aware of the job prior to the visit and did not have the necessary parts - meaning Demi had to wait another week with no hot water.
Adding to the internal problems within the flat, Demi says that various drug addicts use the stairwell and she has taken pictures of used spoons left on the ground as well as an unused needle her nephew found recently.
She continued: "I am also getting drug addicts coming to my door and trying to get into my flat. Luckily I keep my front door locked at all times as they think it’s someone else’s door and this happens at all hours of the night. I also had a women bang my door and when I went down, she had a can of gas on her which she was buzzing.
"I have shown my housing officer video evidence of this and still I am not getting help. Each time I come in my stair to get to my flat with both my boys there is always drug addicts sitting in the stair taking their drugs and smoking all sorts.
"I have found needles and spoons in the stair that I have to walk up and down with my children. It’s got to the point where this is really affecting my mental health now and the house in general is now affecting both my boy's health’s. I don’t feel safe living here at all. I am a single mother on my own with my boys and having drug addicts coming to my door etc it’s really scary."
Demi has kept a record of December's updates from the council regarding her boiler repairs and after nearly two weeks of chasing her housing officer and the council repair team, a worker came out on December 13 with no knowledge of the job.
As of Tuesday, December 20, another engineer has made a visit to the property and is carrying out the necessary repairs so that Demi and her two children do not spend Christmas without heating or hot water.
A Council spokesperson said: “We appreciate the impact these issues are having on our tenant. We are working with them to resolve the issues in their home as quickly as possible and will provide support to explore alternative housing options.”
If you have experienced similar issues such as those mentioned in the article, contact kris.gourlay@reachplc.com
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