WHILE a city landlord and the local authority argue over whose responsibility it is to deal with an issue of raw sewerage pouring from an apartment building onto Thomas Street, the tenants and neighbouring businesses agree that the situation, literally, stinks.
Tony Kiely who runs a business at 35 Upper Thomas Street told the Limerick Post this week that he has had to put up with the smell of raw sewerage flowing out of the block of flats in the building next door. He says that effluent has been pouring onto the street from the neighbouring apartment block for the past four months.
“The Council came and plugged up the drain on the street but now the waste is pouring out under the door of the building from a manhole. When one of the tenants has a shower or uses the toilets upstairs in one of the six flats it just flows out onto the street and people don’t know what they are walking in,” said Mr Kiely.
When the Limerick Post called to the scene, the local business man opened a door to a corridor where the neighbouring apartments’ bins are stored. There was an overpowering stench and a pool of what appeared to be raw sewerage in the hallway.
Mr Kiely claimed he has been told by the landlord that it’s the local authority’s problem and vice versa. He also pointed to the stream of toilet paper on the busy city street outside and claimed the smell has been unbearable at times.
“Women are walking prams through the sewerage. Their kids could easily touch the wheels at home while playing and no one would be any the wiser to what they are picking up. This is happening in the city centre and no one is doing anything about it.
“The smell is awful, and the tenants living here are constantly sick. One of them just had a lung transplant and is fearful now for his health again. I’ve had no joy from the Council or the landlord but this needs to be sorted out quickly, its gone on way too long,” said Mr Kiely.
When contacted, a spokesperson for the local authority insisted that the connection from the property to the sewer on the road is the landlord’s responsibility to fix.
The landlord, a city-based accountant, was not contactable for comment despite several attempts to reach to him in recent weeks.
