Water Lessons
I had a shower this morning! This is exciting because yesterday there was almost no water. The fact that there might not have been enough water this morning just added that extra frisson of excitement.
According to the council's contractor, who arrived less than two hours after I called yesterday morning, there was nothing he could do because it was caused by ice in the mains. A nearby road had been without water since Friday. I have a bad feeling this has to do with the elderly pipes that people are so proud of around here. Yes, the Victorians were very clever, but not so superhuman that all their plumbing will last into the 21st century.
The contractor also kindly informed me that the water from bathroom tap was okay for brushing teeth but not for drinking. No one had mentioned any such thing in the four years that I've been here. Twitterers told me usually only the kitchen tap is supplied from the mains and, further, that bathroom water should be avoided "unless your tastes run to very dilute vermin soup". Thanks, rgemini.
But "usually" is the key word, because until yesterday I thought this flat was all mains, that being the guess of the most recent plumber. But even the contractor was confused. And all the flats in this building are different, which meant that some had water, some had some, and some had almost none. But without exception, the neighbours who were unaffected offered me water to take with and the use of their showers. Nice people.
According to the council's contractor, who arrived less than two hours after I called yesterday morning, there was nothing he could do because it was caused by ice in the mains. A nearby road had been without water since Friday. I have a bad feeling this has to do with the elderly pipes that people are so proud of around here. Yes, the Victorians were very clever, but not so superhuman that all their plumbing will last into the 21st century.
The contractor also kindly informed me that the water from bathroom tap was okay for brushing teeth but not for drinking. No one had mentioned any such thing in the four years that I've been here. Twitterers told me usually only the kitchen tap is supplied from the mains and, further, that bathroom water should be avoided "unless your tastes run to very dilute vermin soup". Thanks, rgemini.
But "usually" is the key word, because until yesterday I thought this flat was all mains, that being the guess of the most recent plumber. But even the contractor was confused. And all the flats in this building are different, which meant that some had water, some had some, and some had almost none. But without exception, the neighbours who were unaffected offered me water to take with and the use of their showers. Nice people.