Hundreds in London flats left without regular running water since last year

Langmead House in Tower Hamlets, where residents have been affected . Photograph: Alicia Canter/The Guardian View image in fullscreen Langmead House in Tower Hamlets, where residents have been affected . Photograph: Alicia Canter/The Guardian Hundreds in London flats left without regular running water since last year Supply in nine blocks in Tower Hamlets affected with some residents suspecting nearby building developments They cannot even flush their toilets: life in east London blocks where taps often run dry Hundreds of residents in blocks of flats in east London have been left without regular running water for more than seven months after development in the area may have left it without an adequate supply. Taps have been running dry in nine blocks in Tower Hamlets, where residents have been forced to use bottled water while their landlord, the housing association Poplar Harca, delayed works to solve the problem. In the meantime, hundreds of families have been unable to properly cook, clean, wash or even flush their toilets. Residents, who are bracing for a fifth heatwave this week, say they are still in the dark about why their water suddenly stopped – although some suspect it is because of new housing developments built nearby. “I’m appalled at the situation my constituents find themselves in,” said Uma Kumaran, the area’s Labour MP. “Access to water is a basic right, yet residents of Devons Road estate have been denied that right for far too long. It’s a gross failure of one of the most fundamental duties a landlord owes to their tenants – especially during record-breaking heatwaves. View image in fullscreen Bottles of water in one resident’s flat, ready for the next outage. Photograph: Alicia Canter/The Guardian“I have repeatedly pushed Poplar Harca to take urgent action, full accountability, and set out a clear and swift timetable for repairs, for all buildings. Residents deserve nothing less than an urgent and permanent fix.” Poplar Harca acknowledges “pressure levels can fluctuate” but denies the water supply has ever stopped completely. Residents who spoke to the Guardian said they first began experiencing water shortages last summer. By December, the problems had become widespread, with at least nine blocks affected. In correspondence with residents, seen , Poplar Harca initially claimed the problem lay with the water supplier. The housing association claimed Thames Water was supplying “lower flow pressures than in previous years”. A map of the nine blocks without a regular supply of running water.