April 18, 2008...9:52 am
Oh, “Water” To Do
To recap. Our water supply is sourced by a mountain stream over the other side of the road. When the road was improved a few years ago, they removed one of our filters. Consequently our water supply has steadily deteriorated over the years. The Welsh Assembly agreed to compensate for this by paying for us to be connected to mains water. Over a month ago we had our drive dug up to lay a pipe in preparation. Since then we’ve had a whacking big hole under the kitchen sink window. The water board were supposed to connect us within fourteen days of the builders having finished their work. When we still hadn’t heard a thing three weeks later, we contacted them to be told that they would have to erect temporary traffic lights to complete the work and there was an embargo on our section of the road. First we’d heard about that! The manager was supposed to call back so I waited in all day, not even daring to go as far as the garage, to no avail. Jon contacted them again the following day. This time we were told that the embargo didn’t come into force until the summer, but they needed to give the council five days notice so the work would be done a week on Wednesday. Jon booked holiday as there was a danger that our internal plumbing would struggle to cope with the water pressure from the mains, and everything was arranged.
Wednesday morning arrived and we received a call from the contractors at 8 am. Unfortunately, the phone connection was lost (only 02 works out here) so whilst Jon tried to contact them again I busied myself filling every kettle, pot, pan etc. with water in anticipation of the water being cut off. When he did get in touch with them they said that they couldn’t do the work as they hadn’t realized we were located on a bend on a 60 mile an hour road - despite sending out a supervisor to ‘recce’ the place earlier in the week – so had to go back for the correct road signs. As the council needed five days notice, they would be back early next week. Jon told them that he had had to book time off work, to which they replied, “At least you’ve picked a nice day!” You can imagine his response. They also said that it wasn’t up to them to connect the dangling pipe under the kitchen window into the house. We pointed out that the inspector had been aware of this; their reply was “Well, he’s Australian!” Back at the office, the manager didn’t get in until after 9.30 so Jon disappeared off to climb a mountain in disgust. The next phone call was to tell us that they would be there the following day, “Well that’s good news, but the contractors said it would be next week because they have to inform the council.” “Oh no,” she responded, “We always give ourselves a window of three days.” Now I know why. Meanwhile, I vented my spleen removing self-seeded saplings and brambles. (See, I did some gardening!)
The following morning we were up bright and early. The pipe was attached to the house (we’ll gloss over that) whilst the contractors got ready for digging up the road, so Jon filled in the hole and arranged for a lorry load of more slate chippings to cover the path and drive. It was all going so well, Jon even mowed the lawn, when there was a knock on the door at 2.15 pm. “We’ll have to stop and come back tomorrow. We didn’t realize that the mains pipe is under the other side of the road.” By this time of course, the house was connected to the pipe that was connected to nothing, so Jon had to re-dig the hole and they reconnected us to the old water supply. Their parting shot was “Do you know that pipe is leaking?” And with that the various diggers, lorries and whatnots left.
Day three, and they are back out there digging away. They know they have to finish today - or at least they better had - so it could be a long day.
On the gardening front, the sunflowers and Livingstone daisies are making a good effort which is more than can be said for the veg. The noteworthy exceptions are the early spuds, which are doing well, and we have a solitary mushroom! (Yes, I’d totally forgotten about them but Jon remembered where he had moved them to.)
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