Claimants seek up to £150,000 after water leaks from pumps into east London development
Barratt has joined forces with the managing agent, owner and 52 residents of one of its properties to sue the companies that designed and installed the water systems on it after three floods damaged the development.
The claimants say water entered the Studley Court residential development in east London because of negligence by CCD Pumps, Woodford Heating and Whitecode Design Associates. The housebuilder, Peverel OM, Peverel Freeholds and the residents are claiming damages of up to £150,000.
In 2000, when the development was built, two sets of water pumps were installed by CCD Pumps to push water to the higher flats. The first leak occurred on 14 August 2002 on the seventh and eighth floors, and consulting engineer Burgoynes concluded that the compression joint had not been properly tightened. It transpired that Woodford Heating had carried routine servicing and maintenance of the pumps just two days before, and the claimants say it had failed to restore the water pressure to the right level. The second incident was on 21 September 2004, and it was traced to a failed compression joint in one of the flats, which Burgoynes said had again not been properly tightened. The third escape of water occurred on 16 February in the same flat after pumps that had been taken away for servicing were reinstalled.
