Water supply row escalates during heatwave

Residents of a sheltered housing estate in Cheltenham who say their water is undrinkable say they were given just 48 bottles of water between 75 flats during this week's heatwave.

Taps in some of the Barlow Road flats are still coming out with sludge, more than two years after residents reported it to Cheltenham Borough Council.

Tim Gillet, a resident said: "They're playing ping pong with people's health and safety. It goes from one department to another. If they replace the pipes, we wouldn't need the bottled water."

The council said tenants could be reassured the "water supply remains safe to drink" and that filters have been offered to those who want to use them.

One resident, Janet Turner, said she had to be moved from one flat to another, where the water is still not safe for use.

Turner said: "With the shower, we were using bottled water, standing in the shower room. We pierced a hole in the bottle, and you had to chuck water over yourself."

But Turner said the sink tap in her new bathroom is still producing black sludge.

She is only able to drink the tap water and use her washing machine because her son helped her by buying her a new washing machine and a filter to go under her kitchen sink.

Lesley Robert Wellings, who has lived on the estate for five years said: "I have a water filter, but I still wouldn't drink it. I did drink it once when I had to take some tablets and it tasted really off."

Cheltenham Borough Council said: "We would like to reassure tenants that the water supply remains safe to drink.

"To provide additional reassurance and choice, water filters have been made available to residents who wish to use them.

"These filters are intended as an extra precaution and convenience, not because the water is unsafe.

"Bottled water has also been provided, and will continue to be provided, for residents who do not wish to drink the mains water supply. However, it is important to be clear that bottled water is not a necessity, as the water remains safe for drinking and everyday use."

The council said it understood tenants' frustration over the "large-scale and complex project".

It added: "We engaged our contractor in February 2026, and they have carried out build and asbestos surveys in each flat. As there are 75 flats in total, this has understandably taken some time."

"These surveys have now been passed to a mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) consultancy service to design the solution and produce a specification of works.

"Once we have this, we can instruct a contractor to complete the work, and we are hopeful that they will start on site in August 2026."

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