AN angry homeowner is threatening to take legal advice after being left without water for nine weeks.

North West Water has told Andrew Moulding he must dig up a newly-laid concrete floor in his kitchen, which cost £400, and lay an approved water pipe before his supply will be reconnected to the mains.

The battle between 28-year-old Andrew and the water giant has been rumbling on almost since he moved into a back-to-back cottage in the appropriately-named Spring Lane, Colne, three months ago.

"It's getting me down so much I've just felt like moving out and forgetting about it all," he said.

The problems started about a month after Andrew moved in. A water pipe burst filling the cellar with several feet of water.

"An engineer came out and tried to cut off the supply by turning off the stop tap in the street but it wouldn't turn off completely," explained Andrew. "He came into the house and asked for a lump hammer and then squashed the end of the pipe in the house to try and stop the water coming in.

"I was told I had to re-lay the pipe so I dug down under the kitchen floor as far as I could, about 15 inches, before I hit solid rock. The old pipe was only about two inches under the kitchen floor. "I had a registered plumber in to sort out the plumbing in the house and he thought it was all right. I had the floor concreted over which cost about £400. Now they're saying I've got to dig it all up again.

"I've been waiting for North West Water to approve the work and reconnect my water supply. I've not had any water for nine weeks. I have to go to my mum's round the corner to go to the loo and have a bath. It's getting ridiculous.

"The water inspector has told me the pipe's not deep enough . I can't put it any deeper because I've hit rock."

But NWW hit back at Andrew's criticisms and said he should have checked the work was up to standard before concreting the kitchen floor.

"The job has not come up to standard and we can't reconnect the house to the mains until the work is approved," said a company spokesman.

"The pipework has to be 2ft 6in deep and this is no more than 12in deep at any point. The pipe hasn't been insulated in the proper way.

"The first frost of winter and it will freeze up and burst again. The regulations are there to protect the customer as well."

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