Comments: Rewatered

This is disgusting. I have nothing I can compare to, nor can I offer any advice. I've been reading your posts and I've just been speechless, but quietly sympathize for you all.

Posted by Scoakat on 27 May, 2022 at 6:51 AM

BW, could you 'encourage' the estate via environmental health? As in they are your supplier and this is what they are supplying you with and any health effects will be on them....?

And would they have any liability if the water they supply you with causes any of your machinery (boiler/washing machine/shower, etc) to break due to it?)

Posted by Sue on 27 May, 2022 at 9:25 AM

Thank you Scoakat.

While we did know what we were potentially signing up to, it seems that all of these 'very rare' events have now occurred in the last 26 months.

Thank goodness for Bri@n the micro-caravan's equipment is all I will say. It helped us out when we moved in (with just him and his equipment) at the beginning of Covid, during our 11 days without power in November/December, and again in the past few days.

Those rechargeable portable shower units (one end in a bucket of clean water, shower end at the other, recharge via USB) are excellent in this sort of situation, and we managed quite acceptable showers on 5 litres each (and caught the runoff in a bowl and used it for toilet flushing after). At a push, 3 litres would be enough, if recirculated.

People come in our house and wonder why we have 7 plastic washing up bowls and umpteen buckets. They are all needed in this kind of situation.

I think that to survive up here you either need to have lived here all your life (so know no different) or to be very organised and to have thought ahead so have a good supply of anything that might possibly be needed.

We are both planners, organised and creative, so it works for us, but our Farmer Friend we used to holiday with 10 miles away told us that some southern folk who moved up (into a house we looked at but rejected as being too dark and in a frost pocket) have run back down south screaming in horror after one summer.

You should see my food cupboards currently... stuffed full... I am taking no chances!

Posted by Blue Witch on 27 May, 2022 at 9:43 AM

Sue - exactly our thoughts/concerns... but no, there is absolutely nothing that can be done. I doubt that EH would even take an interest as there must be thousands of people in rural areas in this county who have similar set-ups.

Think of everything you know about feudal systems, and that is how it works round here. Rock the boat and you will be an outcast forever. Plus, they have no duty (legal or otherwise) to supply us with water, so if we complain, they could simply turn off our supply.

Strange though it may seem, this sort of situation is not exceptional, but you never hear about it as people just take it in their strides, and most affected have always lived here so know no different.

But thank you for your thoughts and suggestions, they would be excellent in normal circumstances!

Posted by Blue Witch on 27 May, 2022 at 9:51 AM

BW, I was worried I was in egg-sucking territory, but thought I'd throw it out there just in case it had slipped by you amidst all the stress.

More wine?

Posted by Sue on 27 May, 2022 at 11:03 AM

Great minds and all that stuff Sue... 36 bottles delivered yesterday. Waitrose have 25% off wine currently and I have got a new 0% on purhcases for 27 months credit card, with a large enough credit limit to see us through until we sell Coven Sud, so we can breathe, and drink, again!!!

And I always appreciate all suggestions, because if I've thought of them it reassures me, and if I haven't it's helpful, so never fear.

Posted by Blue Witch on 27 May, 2022 at 11:15 AM

I'm speechless, that is disgusting but as you say, a feudal system and country ways! Reminds me of parts of Ireland.

Posted by delcatto on 27 May, 2022 at 3:50 PM

delcatto - yes, absolutely. In a way, though, it is comforting that no-one does anything because they don't believe they have a right to. It means that one has more chance of being heard if one does get involved with sensible input. The exact opposite of most suburban communities, and all of social media!

For example - while 10 properties (spread over probably 3 miles) had no water, only the person whose job it is to sort such things (the estate's farm manager), and Mr BW, actually went to the remote location where the problem was, to liaise with the workers trying to fix it. I think that we are the only non-estate property that pulls from their private supply though (and that is an historical thing - I suspect that when our house was sold off in the early 1970s it was to pay death duties or maybe raise money for other things). At an appropriate moment, I shall ask the question of the person who knows.

Posted by Blue Witch on 27 May, 2022 at 4:45 PM