A utility company has come under fire after a water leak left unfixed for weeks turned to sheet ice over the weekend.
Residents in Spring Vale, Maidstone, say they first reported the leaking manhole cover to South East Water back in November.
Ice across Buckland Road on Sunday
Water from the drain flowed across Buckland Road, right at the point of a bend in the road.
Over the exceptionally cold weekend, the water froze, creating treacherous conditions for both motorists and pedestrians.
A Facebook post on the matter attracted many comments from concerned road-users, with several people pointing out that the leak had been reported more than a month previously, and one suggesting that South East Water “should get off their backsides”.
Cllr Stuart Jeffery is the leader of Maidstone council, and lives nearby. He said that he personally had also reported the leak “three or four times” and although the water company had attended on one occasion, the leak had not been fixed.
KCC came out on Sunday evening and gritted the road, which solved the problem temporarily.
Clle Stuart Jeffery was one of those who reported the leak
South East Water said: “We’re sorry to customers in Maidstone who have reported a leak outside Spring Vale.
“We have completed initial investigations into the source of the water and it’s with our planners to work with the local authorities to schedule a date for the repair, as quickly as possible.”
