Family left with 30 metre trench outside home after following United Utilities advice

16.02.2022 - 18:19 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk

A family were left with a huge trench outside their home after they claim to have been given wrong information from United Utilities about a leak on their property.

Couple Vincenzo and Lisa Pranzo, from Walton-le-Dale say they followed guidance of a UU employee when they were told they had a leak at the corner of the property.

They have since described their experience with the national water company as "horrifying" and a "nightmare" after the guidance they followed turned out to be wrong.

According to LancsLive, on October 1 last year, the family home received a visit from a United Utilities inspector who reportedly told Lisa that he was checking properties for leaks.

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She says she was then told she had a leak and that works needed to be carried out.

Husband Vincenzo later arrived home and said that in that specific part of the property there were no pipes.

But the inspector reportedly still assured them there was indeed a leak and that it would be investigated.

"He said to us, 'yeah you've definitely got a leak', who am I to argue with someone who works for United Utilities and he is supposedly qualified," Lisa said.

"They came back and dug underneath where the wall is and I mean there's no water visible but he listens and says 'yeah the leak is definitely under your house' so then obviously you go into panic mode.

"He's explained to me, as the leak's under my property, United Utilities don't fix it, I'm liable to fix that."

The couple were told they could either dig a trench and get a stop tap with an insulated box fitted outside or folk out £2500 for a company to use a mole - displacing the soil creating a bore