Residents evacuated from an apartment block that flooded when a river burst its banks on New Year’s Day have finally been able to return home three weeks later.
Meadow Mill, a former cotton mill in Stockport, Greater Manchester, was left swamped in water during the deluge, which inundated the ground floor and knocked utilities out of action.
CERT, the block’s management company, said residents can now return as power has been restored, though the mains water currently remains unfit for drinking.
David Howarth, one of the occupants forced to leave, said it was a “devastating day” when they had to leave and residents had no idea how long they would be gone.
CERT, which manages the 200 apartments on behalf of the owner, said there had been “significant” damage in the flood, which required a clean-up operation that took about 20 days.
The firm has told residents not to drink mains water while it waits for test results from samples to return from a lab, and has advised them to drink bottled water for now.
Residents have previously complained of being kept in the dark about the work, while others said they had struggled to get answers about insurance payments when they were forced to find alternative accommodation elsewhere.
Mr Howarth told Radio Manchester there had been “a lot of expense and devastation for people”.
“We appreciate that this has been a distressing time for residents and thank you for your patience and cooperation since 1st January,” CERT said.
