THE resident of a housing estate in Carlisle said he and his family say they have been kept awake for hours on end as a result of a noisy water pumping station.

James Spark, of Aspen Grange in Carlisle, said that a temporary overground water pumping station installed near the back of his house is causing severe noise pollution.

The overground station was installed on the Story Homes estate as a temporary measure until the underground station was repaired — something James said is well-overdue.

He said he was told that there might be “some noise during sociable hours” as a result of the overground pump.

“Right from the start it has been going on sporadically through the night — sometimes for three or four hours without stopping,” said James.

“It’s a noise that I would describe from our perspective, because we are right next to it, as a van parked there revving its engine.

“It’s quite a loud noise, especially when you have got two-year-olds and dogs and us trying to sleep in the house.”

James claimed that the issue has been going on for three months now, despite residents apparently being told that the issue regarding the underground pipe would be sorted within 12 weeks.

He added: “It’s just getting past the point of a joke now. We got told initially that it would be sorted within 12 weeks, which means they would have replaced the initial pump under ground - which we have heard nothing of.

“Because this thing is sitting overground, we keep getting told the excuses that it is only kicking in and making noises whenever it needs to clear the waste water, based on everyone using the toilet. But, there is no way everyone is up at night using their toilet at 1am and 5am.

“We constantly tell them about it and they constantly come and look at it and sometimes it makes a difference for a couple of weeks, but then it is back to square one."

“They keep putting more insulation barriers around it to try and stop the noise, but all it is really doing is amplifying it. You’re in your living room and it is like there is a constant base going on in the background.”

Story Homes said it is taking them some time to resolve the issue due to delays that are out of its control.

A spokesperson said: “Unfortunately, we have faced delays outside of our control with the delivery of the parts required to resolve the issue with the joint pumping station that removes foul water for both Aspen Grange and Greymoor Meadows.

“We are installing additional soundproofing measures in the immediate vicinity to help minimise noise and apologise to our residents for the inconvenience this has caused. We will continue to minimise disruption where possible and work closely with the supplier to obtain the required parts as soon as possible.”