Just had a (recorded) phone call from Anglian Water telling me I will find I have little or no water because there’s been a pump failure in the area, and this problem will continue until 1am.
Stuff like this only ever happens on stinking hot days like today, doesn’t it! Luckily I do still have water, though it’s a rather pitiful flow, so I filled a 2lt jug, and a 500 ml bottle up, as well as refilling my big glass, just in case it goes altogether later.
Good that utility companies let you know like that now though, isn’t it!
I do live in a flat, but it does have an upstairs, lol. I’ve not tried the taps upstairs, didn’t even think of that if I’m honest, so thanks for the suggestion! I’ll find out when I clean my teeth at bedtime
Downstairs water usually comes direct from the mains, whereas upstairs is often held in a tank. Therefore if you lose mains pressure, you may still have a tankful to keep you going. But if it’s a shared tank, in flats, and everyone has panicked and run off loads of water, might not work. If you have your own exclusive tank, probably OK.
I do recommend boiling the water for drinking, though (it’s OK for just rinsing teeth). You never know if there could be a dead pigeon (or worse) in the tank.
I’ve actually heard blood curdling screams coming from my loft before - definitely not a person, but sounded like something being dismembered by something else. There’s absolutely no chance of me getting up there to investigate, so just had to stick my fingers in my ears, and hope whatever it was would soon be over - which it was.
But it did make me a bit nervous about how many times I may have drunk from the bathroom tap, without giving much thought to what might be in/near the tank.
I’ve got 10 gallons of water in two gallon bottles under the bed.I’ts three rears past it’s best before date mmmmmmmm I must remember to replace it. Like *ollocks I will.There’s a camping stove and all kinds of wind up goodies.Apart from an assault rifle I’ve got the Survivalists DIY home kit
Wb
ps There are some tin with best before dates…What in the name of all that’s holy have we come to
I’ll definitely have my own tank, as the flat behind mine’s just one floor, and it’s a room and corridor’s width behind me. I often refill my glass from the bathroom sink when I’m having bad days with tiredness and spend most of the day in bed.
Is that why they’ve always said that you shouldn’t drink water from the bathroom taps, because it’s not directly from the mains? I always figured it was because of lead pipes which never made much sense.
Screams? D:< Rats maybe? A place I used to live in definitely had a rat in the roof space, it used to stamp about up there in hobnail boots, or so it sounded xD I’ve had mice between my floors, a little baby was in my kitchen once, never seen anything so adorable in my life! I set a trap for it; a top opening hamster cage with a ramp up to the way in, and tasty bait in the cage like apple and peanut butter and cheese. But it wasn’t to be drawn, never saw it again, or heard its parents in the ceiling, so they much have vacated.
Not got the water, but a camping stove and umpteen bottles of butane - remember all the warnings about our gas/power reserves being extremely marginal, and if we have one really bad cold snap we might literally run out?
I’ve never used the stove in ten years, and am nervous about using bottled gas at all - having no experience of these things. I’m also nervous about keeping the butane in the house, in case there was ever a fire.
Wondered whether to donate the lot to Freecycle, but (appropriately enough for the title of this thread) wonder if the first winter after I get rid of them will be the first winter the dire predictions come true.
I read somewhere…I think it was probably a post on Tumblr from some sciencey thing, that the date on bottles of water is actually for the bottle, not the water. So, if people keep water past that date, then drink it and complain to the company that it tastes bad, they can tell them it’s not the water, it’s because the plastic’s degrading or some other BS, and it’s their own fault for drinking it past its date. xD
Due diligence at it’s finest…how long does it take for plastic to break down? Isn’t it several thousand years? xD
It can be because of lead pipes in older buildings - but that is usually OK as long as you let the water run a bit before drinking - what you don’t want is to drink water that may have been standing in the pipes a long time. If it’s only passed through quite quickly, it should be OK.
I do think the bigger issue is there’s no absolute guarantee the tank is secured from the elements - things could have got in there and died, and you wouldn’t be any the wiser, so not recommended as drinking water. But I’ve done it loads of times, and so far, not come to any harm.
Though if they subsequently find MS is primarily contracted from contaminated drinking water, I guess I’ll know what happened.
I guessed the screaming thing might be a rat - or a rat attacking a starling, maybe? I know I have starlings in the loft space, and I think a rat might take a starling.
It was absolutely horrible, and I couldn’t do anything. I had to tell myself: “Well, nature is red in tooth and claw, and I just have to let it take its course.” But I dread to think what carnage could be up there to greet anyone brave enough to look. Haven’t noticed any offensive smells, so either it’s too enclosed to permeate the house, or there was an efficient predator, and there weren’t many remains left.
Our loft spaces are really a different world, aren’t they. Slightly creepy thought, but also kind of cool, I think. I’d be quite happy if wildlife was in my loft, as long as it didn’t impact on me.
Wildlife is one thing. Wildlife apparently murdering each other is not as welcome.
I think I have at times had bats in the loft (NOT the belfry), too.
I don’t know if a rat would take a bat, or a bat would take a starling, or vice versa. And I certainly don’t know which screams the loudest. The only bats I’ve seen going in and out of the eaves are quite small. I think they are the pipistrelle, which are small and cute. So although they’re carnivorous, I don’t imagine them taking anything much larger than a fly or moth.
I don’t know if they can scream within a range audible to humans.
Ugghh, it was horrible - I hope it never happens again.
I should hope that kind of thing’s pretty rare. Plus they’ve got plenty of other lofts to choose from, right? So it happening again in yours should be really unlikely. Hope I’m convincing you!
My water’s back on, anyway, I suspect they fixed some leaks too as the pressure’s way higher than normal!
We get numerous power cuts in our part of this village we only found out lately that Northern power grid has a special unit that helps people with medical conditions through power cuts you register with them and when there is a cut they come to your door to keep you informed and to make sure you have hot drinks etc. We were given a plug in torch that glows when power is down and some warm hats an gloves. Our cuts have been so long they have brought a bus with wi-fi and drink making facilities to the village. Part of the underground cable keeps exploding and taking out the power instead of replacing it they dig loads of holes repair the break and put a bigger fuse in the substation for the next time it’s all a bit heath robinson. Keep cool everyone
That last bit does sound a bit typically bureaucratic, got to say, the rest sounds fabulous though!
But also, my amazement at such care is kind of telling, isn’t it…says a lot about the general behaviour of companies when people are shocked when one does more than just take maximum money for minimum service.
Actually, it’s my suspicion they all do it - it’s just little publicised. If you don’t know, you can’t register.
However, I’m willing to bet I can’t just ring up and say: “I have MS, will that do?” I expect, as with everything else, I’d have to prove I’m on some kind of benefit - which I’m not.
So it would be: “Well, on that basis, you’re not vulnerable and don’t qualify, so bye and thanks for calling.”
Huh, yeah. Much like any benefit, the people who would have to hand it over generally aren’t keen to make it widely known about, are they : / Gosh we humans are a sucky species!
no proof needed check with your utility company I don’t mean electric supplier but the one who maintains the infastructure where you live their customer services can send you out the info. We only found out about it following a 28 hour cut and we kicked up a stimk as their automated system that keeps you informed was 4 hours out of time.Also we have 2 of their poles in our garden and there is no where else for them to go so I told them their service had to improve or their agreement with us was over and they would have to get a court order to keep poles in garden and pay a great deal more then the 350 they pay each year. the overhead cables across the front of our home should have been replaced about 30 years ago and twice they have exploded and come down on the footpath because they put bigger fuses in they have stayed live.2 engineers came out and we told them to sort it out Rob used to work for another company so they couldn’t fool him. When we found out about the help avaliable in a cut we made sure all the elderly and disabled in the village got registered. Sue
