A Fife widow has been forced from her home after being deluged by 900 litres of water.
Margaret, from Buckhaven, has been living in a hotel for six weeks as officials investigate the cause of the flood beneath her floors.
The 71-year-old, who does not want her surname revealed, feels like crying most days with no sign of her being able to return home soon.
The drains and pipes at her Sandwell Street house have been inspected and are not the cause of the issue.
And a Fife Council probe has ruled out blocked public drains and gullies.
One fear is high levels of old mine water is not allowing groundwater to drain properly.
And, if this is the case, it could affect other houses in the area.
Margaret said: “I’m at my wit’s end. I just want it sorted so I can go home.”
Six hours to pump out water after Buckhaven flooding
A plumber discovered on January 9 that water had entered under her floors and risen to the level of the joists.
Margaret said: “He opened the floor boards and said ‘oh my God, I can’t cope with this’.
“He reckoned there were about 10 tonnes of water under the floor.”
Her insurance company sent a tanker to pump out the water.
However, the sub-floor immediately refilled during the next bout of torrential rain.
And experts found another 12 inches of water, which took six hours to empty.
In a bid to investigate the issue, workers have lifted carpets and drilled through floorboards.
And Margaret says her house is a mess.
‘Drains are running freely – into my house!’
“There’s a great big hole inside the bathroom door so I can’t go to the toilet,” she said.
“I’ve a big hole in the living room, the laminate in the hall is all buckled and the living room carpet is ruined.
“Meanwhile, I have rheumatoid arthritis and am having to sit in a wee room in a hotel.
“My blood pressure is going up and up and up and I don’t have anywhere to turn.”
She added: “They’ve had cameras down and say the drains are running freely.
“Yes, they are running freely – into my house!”
Meanwhile, Labour councillor Tom Adams is calling for a quick solution.
“It could be caused by rising mine water not allowing the groundwater to drain,” he said.
“Whatever it is, it’s been six weeks and we’re no further forward.”
Probe continuing into cause of flood
Fife Council service manager Bill Liddle said they investigated the Buckhaven flooding last week.
“An insurance report had suggested that this was surface water entering the property as a result of a nearby road gulley,” he said.
“We have now thoroughly checked the nearby gulley and there are no signs of damage and it is running properly.
“To be sure there was no other problem we carried out further investigations, using cameras and can’t find anything which might be causing the flooding.
“Fife Council will continue to work with the householder and the insurance company to help identify a possible cause. “
Conversation