A Perth flat owner – awaiting a liver transplant – is having to stump up for a drainage system around the mixed tenure block she lives in without help from private landlords or Perth and Kinross Council.
According to the vulnerable North Muirton resident, the water gathers “like a moat” around the block of flats every time there is heavy rain.
But Perth and Kinross Council has said “property owners themselves have primary responsibility to protect their homes from the impact of flooding”.
Jura Street resident Kathleen Minogue bought her property just over a year ago and – after two separate floods over that time – has raised the issue with Perth and Kinross Council.
She said: “I’ve been here over a year and it’s happened twice. Every time we get a heavy rainfall, the water lies there for about seven or eight days.
“The water lies stagnant for days. It’s like a moat so all the fences have collapsed.”
Kathleen’s shared drying green is left resembling a pond for around a week after the heavy rain.
She said: “These drying areas are all on council land but they won’t have it.
“You cannot use the back door when it’s flooded. I think it would go over your wellies – that’s how deep it is.
“It comes right up to the steps. I’m worried the stagnant water will erode the building’s foundations. I’m also immunosuppressed so I’m worried about the bacteria in stagnant water.”
Kathleen – who has already had a kidney transplant – needs a liver transplant but has delayed the major surgery until her home is no longer at risk of flooding.
Kathleen said: “I have suspended myself from the liver transplant list until my house is made safe by the insurance. I need to be 100 per cent sure my house is safe from flooding.”
Scottish Water is responsible for the public sewer network while issues with drainage and surface water are generally the responsibility of the local authority. Perth and Kinross Council was aware of the concerns but said it was the responsibility of property owners to protect their homes.
A Perth and Kinross Council spokesperson said: “The council responded directly in August 2024 regarding the resident’s concerns about surface water run-off to the rear of their property.
“Where extreme rainfall occurs, the ground will become rapidly saturated and water will instead naturally flow overland into nearby ditches, field drains or low-lying areas of land, making it common for these areas to temporarily flood. When prolonged spells of heavy rain falls onto ground already saturated, significant volumes of surface water run-off can be generated.
“The majority of the properties in this block are privately owned and, while we fully understand the concerns being raised, the property owners themselves have primary responsibility to protect their homes from the impact of flooding. To that end, we also provided in our response details of a number of organisations that can assist with flood protection and flood resilience, including the Scottish Flood Forum.”
Scottish Water has not received any reports from customers in Jura Street relating to sewer flooding.
A Scottish Water spokesperson said: “We ask customers to report any suspected sewer flooding to us as soon as possible, allowing our teams to assess the issue and determine if any action is required. Customers can contact us via our website or by calling our Customer Helpline on 0800 077 8778.”
Local councillors have also been alerted to the issue.
Perth City Centre councillor Peter Barrett reiterated the council’s stance that the responsibility to protect homes lies with owners.
The Liberal Democrat councillor said: “I recognise that the risk of flooding and the proximity of surface water to people’s homes is worrying, can be very distressing and I sympathise with them. However in this case the responsibility to protect their homes lies with the owners and this has been explained in response to the concerns and complaints raised.
“There are a range of measures that can be taken by the residents to protect their properties and prevent water ingress to the ground floor including sandbags, air brick covers and barriers for doors. A sump pump will provide protection against rising water gathering in the solum beneath floor level. The council has provided information on further sources of advice and information. Residents need to decide which measures to take to best protect their homes or the communal parts that they share.”