Thames Water cut me off!!!

[Scylla]

The devils! I phoned them just now - spoke my postcode into the auto-thing and there were no issues on record so they put me thru to a human being, who also said there were no issues, but went off to check...

And it turns out that planned works are being carried out on a local main They have to flush out the pipes and are doing it at a time of low demand

So how come their system and personnel know nothing about it? What a shower!

Back on at 5am latest, I am assured

That means I have to waste electricity boiling water from the fridge for tea/coffee (because I've forgotten to fill my emergency bottles for so long that I wouldn't trust them, even after boiling).

scylla

[mrlimbo]

Bad news
But just put your kettle outside , it will fill in minutes .....oh no you dont live in sunny rainy Cornwall
Dont know who started that urban myth that Cornwalls Sunny & Warm .........if i ever find them

[mrlimbo]

Mar 1, 2011 2:30:19 GMT Scylla said:

That means I have to waste electricity boiling water from the fridge for tea/coffee (because I've forgotten to fill my emergency bottles for so long that I wouldn't trust them, even after boiling).

scylla

Your cold/hot water tanks should be full though ?

[Scylla]

I don't have any tanks - just mains water running thru a combination boiler

Never mind, it did come back on by 5am

scylla

[lynwlt]

I seem to recall that there is a good reason not to drink water from the hot water tank.
Typically it escapes me now, when it might have proved useful..

Lynda

(a common occurance)

[Chrissie]

That is so bad that you weren't given any warning Scylla

MrL, it certainly wasn't me that started that myth

[jerryrm]

Mar 1, 2011 15:35:05 GMT Chrissie said:

MrL, it certainly wasn't me that started that myth

Of course it wasn't you.

[mrlimbo]

Mar 1, 2011 13:02:47 GMT lynwlt said:

I seem to recall that there is a good reason not to drink water from the hot water tank.
Typically it escapes me now, when it might have proved useful..

Lynda

(a common occurance)

Im sure if boiled for tea or coffee , it cant hurt ?

[Scylla]

It wasn't me that started the "lovely weather" myth either. I miss the special Cornish downpour rather than the daily mizzle

scylla

[fishinahat]

Mar 1, 2011 13:02:47 GMT lynwlt said:

I seem to recall that there is a good reason not to drink water from the hot water tank.
Typically it escapes me now, when it might have proved useful..

Lynda

(a common occurance)

Yep - do you want me to tell you

Water is kept clean and bacteria free by the addition of chlorine - which isn't stable in water. In standing water it dissipates within 24 hours - after which the water becomes unsafe to drink.

Boiling will usually kill most bugs - but there are other issues with water from the header tank.

If you want to know what they are - lift the lid on the loo cystern and take a peak. See all that green slime round the edges? Basically the tank never empties - and thus the water is not fresh.

Further, unless your header tank has a lid on it - living things that access your attic could find it a useful place to drown ........



In case anyone wonders - one of my previous jobs was working for a water company. One of our "stories" was of an office in a large building where the staff filled the kettle from the cold water basins in the loos.

They kept getting sick - and narrowed it down to the water. Eventually after much investigation by the Water co (who had established it was safe at point of entry to the building) - someone checked the header tank - which was on the roof.

The lid had come off in a storm and there was a dead pigeon in it.



This is a summary warning to only use water from the taps which say "drinking water" on them when you are in large buildings. They are the ones fed directly from the mains - and that water is safe to drink.