Key Points
- Danielle Scanlon, 39, returned to her Toryglen flat on July 11 to find raw sewage pouring through the hallway.
- She said human waste was leaking from the bathroom and kitchen sink, creating a strong smell and attracting flies.
- The family’s home was contaminated across multiple rooms, with sewage affecting floors, floorboards, clothes and furniture.
- Sanctuary Housing sent a plumber, but Danielle said the situation worsened after the pipe was accidentally broken during the visit.
- The family was moved into a hotel room the following day.
- Danielle said she and her three children have lost everything they owned.
- She believes the waste is coming from three upstairs neighbours’ properties.
- Glasgow City Council’s Public Health team attended, while a contractor was later on-site to carry out repairs.
- Sanctuary Housing said it was sorry for the disruption and was working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
Toryglen (Glasgow Express) July 22, 2026 – A Glasgow mother has described how she and her three children were left with nothing after raw sewage flooded their home, in a case that has caused severe disruption and left the family in temporary accommodation. The incident involved Danielle Scanlon, 39, who returned home with her daughter on July 11 to find sewage pouring through the hallway of her flat. As reported by Danielle Scanlon to Daily Record, the contamination spread quickly through the property and left the family facing what she described as an unbearable smell and extensive damage.
As reported by Danielle Scanlon of the Daily Record, the first sign of the problem was sewage entering the hallway, before the waste also began leaking from her bathroom and kitchen sink. She said the contamination attracted flies and spread an overpowering stench through the flat.
The report states that the sewage affected floors, floorboards, clothes and furniture, with the family later saying they could not keep what they had tried to salvage because of the smell.
How badly was the flat affected?
The Daily Record reported that the sewage had contaminated multiple rooms and left the property infested with flies and bluebottles.
Danielle said that by the time the family were evacuated, the smell had already soaked into their clothes and furniture. She told the newspaper that she vomited when she walked into the house and described the scene as “absolutely disgusting”.
The report also states that the sewage remained in and around the property for more than a week, intensifying the family’s distress.
Danielle said she had to buy new clothes for her children because what they were able to take with them still carried the strong smell. The family is now sharing a hotel room while the issue is investigated and repaired.
What did the housing provider say?
According to the Daily Record, Sanctuary Housing sent a plumber, but Danielle said the situation became worse when a pipe was accidentally broken during the visit. The family were moved into temporary hotel accommodation the next day.
A surveyor later attended the flat on July 16, but Danielle said she had not yet received a full update from the housing provider.
A spokesperson for Sanctuary told the Daily Record that the “safety and wellbeing” of residents was the organisation’s priority and said it understood how upsetting the situation had been.
The spokesperson said the family had been moved into temporary accommodation while repairs were carried out, with specialist contractors and inspectors working on the issue. The housing provider also said it was keeping in regular contact with Ms Scanlon and her family.
What was the council’s role?
The report says Glasgow City Council’s Public Health team was called out to attend the incident. A contractor was soon on site to begin repair work, and the council said it was aware the property owner was carrying out repairs. The council also said its public health team can assist householders affected by environmental nuisances.
This detail matters because the incident was not limited to a private housing problem; it also triggered a public health response.
The involvement of the council suggests the scale of contamination was serious enough to require official attention alongside the landlord’s repair process.
What did Danielle Scanlon say?
As reported by Danielle Scanlon to the Daily Record, she believes the waste may be coming from three upstairs neighbours’ properties.
She said Sanctuary Housing advised her to ask neighbours not to flush their toilets and instead bag their own waste while the matter was investigated. Danielle said every time a neighbour used the toilet, waste would pour back out through the bathroom.
Her concerns were not only about damage but also about her children’s welfare if they are returned to the flat before it is safe.
The report shows she remains worried about health risks and the possibility of further contamination.
Those fears have become central to the story because the family’s home has been rendered unusable while the source of the sewage is addressed.
Why does this case matter?
The case highlights the impact that sewage failures can have on tenants, particularly families with children who may be forced out of their homes with little warning.
It also raises questions about response times, communication and the reliability of repair processes when contamination spreads through a property. The Daily Record account suggests the family were left in a difficult position while the investigation continued.
It is also part of a wider pattern of sewage-related incidents affecting homes and public spaces in Glasgow, including previous flooding and overflow problems reported elsewhere in the city.
While each case has different causes, the common issue is the disruption and distress that raw sewage brings when it enters living spaces.
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Background of the development
The development centres on a raw sewage incident in a Toryglen flat occupied by Danielle Scanlon and her three children. The Daily Record reported that the flooding began on July 11 after Danielle returned home from a day out with her daughter and found sewage pouring through the hallway.
The report added that human waste was leaking from bathroom and kitchen sinks, and that the family were later placed in a hotel while repairs and inspections continued.
The background also includes the response from Sanctuary Housing and Glasgow City Council, both of which became involved after the incident was reported.
Sanctuary said it moved the family to temporary accommodation and brought in specialist contractors, while the council said its public health team had attended and that repairs were being undertaken by the property owner.
Prediction
For tenants in similar housing situations, this development may lead to greater concern about how quickly landlords respond to sewage contamination and how clearly they communicate with affected residents. Families living in flats or shared buildings may also become more alert to signs of waste backflow, smells or repeated drainage problems, because the consequences can be immediate and severe.
For housing providers and local authorities, the case may increase pressure to show faster action, clearer support and stronger maintenance checks when there is a risk of contamination.
For residents in the wider Glasgow area, it reinforces the need to report drainage and public health problems early, especially when sewage is entering homes or communal areas.
