Residents in Altitude 25, some of whom paid more than £1 million for their penthouse apartments in one of Croydon’s most prestigious residential developments, have embarked on a fourth day without water supplies, as the tower block management await plumbing repairs following a leak on the 11th floor before the weekend.

Altitude 25: Expensive private flats still struggle with maintenance issues

With all water turned off in the tower block on Altyre Road, just across from the Croydon Law Courts, some residents – who can pay more than £1,700 per month to rent a two-bed flat at what is assumed to be a “prestigious” address – were forced to check-in at local B&Bs and hotels in order to get an uninterrupted night’s sleep and prepare for the working week ahead. Others took out gym membership at the Croydon Park Hotel next door, just to be able to use the shower facilities.

When the leak was discovered, some time before 6pm on Friday 13th, engineers from the management company were on site and, as well as turning off the water, also switched off the power to some floors.

In a message sent on Saturday morning, owners and tenants were told that, “The necessary parts have been ordered with earliest delivery on Monday due to supplier availability. The repairs can then be undertaken. 24 hours will then be required for the bonding to set before the water can be reinstated to the building.”

By 11pm on Saturday, residents were informed that a supply of bottled water – “we have used up a lot of the bottled water on sale in Croydon at this point!” – had been used up, and that they would need to wait until the following day for re-supply. On Sunday evening, residents were given a one-hour slot to re-fill their bottles and buckets. And at just after 11pm last night, a plaintive message was issued: “If the Concierge’s Ikea trolley has not been returned, please RETURN IT please. It really helps with the water deliveries.”

With service charges for some of the apartments set at £4,000 per year for some residents, this is the latest in a series of frustrations with various snagging issues around the maintenance of Croydon’s tallest building, which was completed in 2009.

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