A couple have appealed to Fife Council to block what is thought to be natural spring water from seeping any further into the foundations of their home.
Neil Robertson and wife Paula are worried a section of their property, at Craigmill on the eastern outskirts of town, could collapse, but the local authority has made it clear the matter is not their responsibility.
Around six years ago, the pair retired to Fife and invested thousands on the renovation and extension of their dream home.
However, 18 months ago, they noticed a trickle of water overflowing from a British Telecom duct on the pavement outside their drive.
The flow gradually increased to the point where a permanent puddle formed, stretching onto the A913 Cupar road and path.
Damp is now climbing the garden wall, and a greater problem lurks underground, where the water runs through the foundations of the property on its way to a burn at its rear.
“It’s getting worse,” said Mr Robertson, who used to work as a minister in Nottingham. “We contacted BT in October last year and asked them to come and look at the problem.
“They told us it wasn’t causing any problems to their equipment and directed us to Scottish Water, who said it was not treated water and therefore not an issue for them… Who else can we turn to?”
The source of the water is unknown, but the council was approached to investigate as it runs under a public highway.
A series of visits by local authority officers were subsequently made and it was only recently decided that it was not a matter for them.
Dave Smeaton, lead officer of Fife Council’s roads management (north) team, said, “There wasn’t an issue with the drains and there is no danger posed to road users. We carried out our investigation and found that it is not an issue for transportation services.”
The latest blow for the couple leaves them facing an enormous bill for repairs. I am waking up in the night worrying about the water running under the house,” said Mrs Robertson.
“The house smells of damp now, and that never used to be the case.”
Neighbouring residents are also calling for action. Frances Ross has lived in Craigmill for 40 years but never come across anything like this before. A small corner of her garden has been hit by the underground water, which has killed off one of her trees.
A short distance away David McCusker, a semi-retired chauffeur, said the couple had been left in the lurch. “Everyone has been denying the responsibility,” he said.
Local councillor Andrew Arbuckle has been aware of the problem for many months. He has approached Scottish Water and Fife Council and is frustrated by the lack of action.
“This has to be someone’s problem. It’s been going on for too long and needs to be resolved,” he said.