Saturday, January 19, 2008

Water, Water Everywhere but None that You Can Use!

Getting ready for bed last night I discovered there was no water. Yike! No shower. No toilet. Figuring someone in maintenance had left the water off (it's happened before), I went to bed. In the morning, if it was still off, I'd call the Complex Office.

Morning and there's still no water. I called the switch board and learned my entire building, along with several others, was in the same straights. Maintenance was working on it. Satisfied with this answer, off I went to my church sponsored training seminar confident that the problem would be fixed by the time I got back.

Three hours later, I returned to find that there was STILL NO WATER. Called the office again. This time I was told the problem is a burst pipe. It broke about 9:00 PM last night. Maintenance had rented a jack hammer to reach the pipe in the middle of the complex drive. They were still working on it. I spotted them being very industrious as I left to mail a package.

Back from the Post Office, I go get my mail and saunter over to chat with the maintenance guys. They are still busily at work, but they are putting dirt back into the hole they dug. These are nice guys and I like them all. Through some good natured humor I heard the sad tale. Even though they've been working on this all morning and we now needed someone to come fix the hole in our drive, the problem still isn't fixed!

So, the plumbers...commercial or city...will be called. This doesn't sound like it will be fixed quickly. Apparently the pipe, a main, is broken in several places and has been for some time. It just bit the dust last night. So, ALL of my section of the complex is without water. If any resident in eight two-story buildings, each with 24 units, needs to shower (or use the restroom) we can call the office and they will give us a key to an empty apartment. Well, that's great for me but...What about my cats!? They need fresh water daily and I use flushable litter. This may get ugly!


Later:
The water finally is back on. I wandered over to make a cup of hot chocolate, without even thinking turned on the faucet. Low and behold, water flowed in a beautiful rush! Yay! Clean water for cats and baths! :-)

Joy!

9 comments:

murat11 said...

A drag, Lee. Here's hoping for sooner than later. Much sooner.

Lee said...

Thanks Paschal. The water is back, about 9:00 PM. It is with a great sense of relief that I look forward bathing tonight. :)

Joy!

david mcmahon said...

It's the flow-on effect, Lee!!!

Lee said...

LOL Good to see you here, David! How go things south of the Equator? And while I'm at it, what does water taste like down there?

Joy!

murat11 said...

Congrats on the water, Lee. It was sooner than later. Molto bene!

San said...

Not long after we moved into our present house--way back in '98--our well pump broke. We knew it was ancient when we bought the house. We just didn't anticipate disaster striking so swiftly.

It is a real drag to be without water. I'm glad you have yours back, Lee.

Lee said...

Thank you, San! I'm glad to have it back on too. :)

It's neat that you have a water well. In this day of modern pipes and city delivery you don't see that as often as you used to. My Grandparents used to have a pump in the back yard. They had the house for some time but lived elsewhere when I was born. I guess it at one time provided water for the house but later I think they converted it to only use it for the yard. Mercedes water didn't taste that great straight from the ground. I remember GM always had a huge bottle of Ozarka Water in the carport for drinking use.

Peace!

Sandi McBride said...

Oh my God Lee...I feel your pain, lol...to be without water...or electricity...rather be without electricity than water I have determined! You can always light a candle or use a flashlight (torch) or just pull back the drapes if it's daylight...but without WATER??? What's a girl to do???
Sandi

Lee said...

LOL What's a girl to do? Pray, Sandi. Pray! And to think that sometime next week I have to teach a bunch of 4th graders about life without running water (Texas History).

Peace!