Young Adelaide couple warn water mains flood victims to expect no favours from SAWater after similar flooding sent them to seven weeks in hotel

STUCK in a hotel for seven weeks since a burst water main flooded their home, this young couple have warned residents of Adelaide’s northeast to expect no favours from SA Water.

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A YOUNG couple that has spent seven weeks in temporary accommodation after a burst water main flooded their home has warned residents of Adelaide’s northeast to expect no favours from SA Water.

Nithin Mathai and his wife, Anjali Thomas-Mathai, were forced from their rented Seacombe Gardens property after water flows destroyed much of their possessions and partially submerged their house on January 26.

“The worst thing has been the inconsistency. We were originally told two weeks for it all to be sorted and now we have been out of home for about seven,” he said.

SA Water is paying for the couple’s temporary accommodation but has not accepted liability for any of the couple’s damaged possessions. The couple does not have contents insurance.

Mr Mathai advised residents affected by Monday’s burst water mains at Paradise, Newton and Campbelltown to take meticulous notes and photograph everything damaged by the flooding.

“Make sure you demand what you need as they won’t offer to do any of it unless you ask them,” he said.

“You want to have proof of everything, written documents, receipts because they won’t send someone to inspect the damage or just believe you.”

The main ruptured near the corner of Morphett Rd and Ramsay Ave and within minutes lifted pavers in the front yards of houses and began flooding the area.

Nithin Mathai and Anjali Thomas-Mathai in front of their Seacombe Gardens unit which was flooded after a water main burst on January 26.

Mr Mathai said confusion about when they would be able to return home meant they had missed the funeral of Mrs Thomas-Mathai’s grandfather.

The couple were originally put up in an “average” motel for a week after the incident but were then transferred into a small city apartment.

They have now been informed the house will be suitable for their return this weekend.

A spokeswoman for SA Water said it was not their responsibility to “bail out” residents that were insured when their home was flooded.

“Where a resident is affected and has insurance, it is also not the responsibility of tax payers to bail out insurance companies,” he said.

WAITING: Nithin Mathai and his wife have been in temporary accommodation for seven weeks. Picture: Roy Van Der Vegt

“Where the affected customer is not insured, SA Water is committed to working with residents to ensure whatever needs to be done is done.”

She said the Seacombe Gardens burst was not a common occurrence but the time taken to return residents to their homes differed on the circumstances.

“Repair works to affected homes are assessed on a case-by-case basis by the customers’ insurer. “Time frames around residents returning to their homes are determined by repairs required.”