‘We’ve had to live upstairs for 18 months because sewage keeps flooding our home’

Penrhyndeudraeth: A family has been living upstairs for a year and a half because of sewage flooding. Gavin Hicks, his wife, and their young daughter have faced this nightmare multiple times, especially during heavy rain.

They were hit again in December, with their home filled with foul-smelling sewage for the fifth time. It’s been so bad that they’ve decided to live upstairs and haven’t even replaced their carpets.

Despite reaching out to Welsh Water, the company claims the public sewer system is fine. They say the flooding is just a problem for this particular house.

Welsh Water did find some drainage issues unrelated to their system and suggested the family contact their home insurance. Gavin mentioned that the flooding only started in the summer of 2023.

When it rains, water shoots out like a fountain from a drain cover, flooding their home with sewage. Gavin described the mess as full of waste and toilet paper, which rushes through their house.

They’ve had to deal with damp walls and standing water. Gavin even bought an industrial pump to help clear the mess. He’s been using bleach to sanitize the place, but it’s a constant battle.

Every time it rains, Gavin struggles to sleep, listening for the sound of flooding. He has to carry his wife and daughter to safety to avoid contamination.

After the last flood, Welsh Water sent specialists to inspect the house. They offered to install a non-return flap on the waste pipe and an alarm for future flooding.

A spokesperson from Welsh Water said they made a compensation payment after the December flooding and conducted a thorough investigation. They found that the issue is not with the public sewer but with private drainage at the property.

They advised the family to talk to their home insurance provider, as the flooding is likely to continue with the current drainage issues.