Help! Run out of rainwater.

[JoceAndChris]

He says that you should stop having baths, and not brush your teeth any more either. He also says that you shouldn't do any more washing up, but just eat sausage rolls and things on sticks. He says he wishes he didn't have any water in his house either.

What an astute young man! Tell your nephew we thank him for his advice and are indeed giving up baths.

The well water level is really dictated by the water table. It should take an awful lot of prolonged raining to significantly raise that, so I doubt there's much risk of an overflowing well...
There seems to be no shortage of companies that can supply bulk water in case of emergency so you should never actually run out of water altogether.

Thank you so much for your reassuring comments Flyfisher. I'm feeling so much better about this whole water supply now. I think you're right, and anyway we can't take costly decisive action just yet.

Darling husband composed the following calming sum last night regarding the water remaining in the well, just supposing that it decided not to refill itself this summer.

Diameter m 1.5
Radius m 0.75
Area m2 1.767145868
Depth m 5.5
Volume m2 9.719302272
l 9719.302272
daily consumption l 200
Days supply 48.59651136

His figure for daily consumption is a lowered estimate from the national average: which is apparently 300L per person per day.
I find that an extraordinarily high figure. I think we typically use significantly less.

Much to my delight darling husband had also forbidden me from entering the rainwater tank, asserting it is a job for skilled professionals, presenting dangers of suffocation and slipperiness. Imagine a rainwater tank that has never been cleaned or filtered in twenty years. That mud is going to have to be suctioned out. I am to find a brave soul willing to undertake its cleaning and relining today.

 

[Hatster]

Thinking about how you can cut down your water use - my dad retro-fitted some special low-water use flushes to our loos, which I think contribute to our relatively low water use (we use somewhat below the average despite me having had a lot of baths for my bad back). The idea is that they only flush when you actually push the button, so you keep pushing as long as you want water to flow, and stop immediately you don't want it to flow. Vistors find them slightly odd, but people soon get used to them. My dad bought them from Wickes.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Thanks Hatster, not sure I could fit a Wickes thingy without compromising the appearance and functionality of my beloved historic pre war loo. I tend to go outside with the cat these days anyway.

Failed driving test, no driver faults but one serious fault. Examiner failed to grasp that when one drives a 4 x 4 one may drive on the opposite side of the road if the fancy takes, particularly if nothing coming. I hope he will have learnt his lesson by the next time I take it.

Another bad back: period properties have a lot to answer for.

 

[skier-hughes]

You'll find when you take your advanced test that they teach you to drive on all of the road, or at least my instructor did, great fun.
Maybe taking the short cut across the field to the test centre wasn't that good an idea!!!!!!!

Better luck next time.

Graham
xx

 

[Flyfisher]

You'll find when you take your advanced test that they teach you to drive on all of the road,

Yes, particularly to 'straighten out' winding country roads and not follow every twist and turn (only when there's clear visibility of course!).

Bad luck Joce, but looking on the bright side it'll be an easy thing to correct for your next test. Book it as soon as possible.

 

[Penners]

Sorry to hear the bad news about the test, Joce. I failed twice before my third-time-lucky pass.

Years ago, a friend of mine came back from a holiday in Greece, complainign about Greek drivers.

"Which side of the road do they drive on, in Greece?", I asked him.

He replied, "the shady side!". :shock:

 

[JoceAndChris]

X X X

I might have to repaint some lines in the town. Their absence is confusing. Now, should I consider a breathable linseed oil paint? :wink:

I had a lovely neighbour who used to paint out the double yellows on the corners so we could all park; he got away with it for years. Sometimes we need to take matters into our own hands.

X X X

 

[JoceAndChris]

Much to my delight darling husband had also forbidden me from entering the rainwater tank, asserting it is a job for skilled professionals, presenting dangers of suffocation and slipperiness. Imagine a rainwater tank that has never been cleaned or filtered in twenty years. That mud is going to have to be suctioned out. I am to find a brave soul willing to undertake its cleaning and relining today.

Well I spoke to a number of people today, most of whom turned their noses up at cleaning out my rainwater tank. Many spoke of the need for a Certificate to Work in Enclosed Spaces. :shock: Is it true? You need a certificate to clean out a tank these days?

One lovely man did say I could have the contents of his bowser for free though.

If you were hiring tools to clean out a tank, what tools would they be, assuming you'd like to avoid entering the tank? I'm thinking of some kind of suction pump to pump out the mud and some kind of pressure washer to hose it all out.

If there is a leak in the tank, a pressure washer doesn't sound like a terribly good idea though. Furthermore, they use copious quantities of water and if you squirted it down a 12 foot hole with a metal bottom, wouldn't it just create a huge, filthy jet of water high into the air and potentially against the house?

Also, do you think that mud would be a nutritious mulch? Or finish off my poor dehydrated roses in one fell swoop?

 

[Feltwell]

Well I spoke to a number of people today, most of whom turned their noses up at cleaning out my rainwater tank. Many spoke of the need for a Certificate to Work in Enclosed Spaces. :shock: Is it true? You need a certificate to clean out a tank these days?

Quite likely I'd say - danger of gas build-up, especially if things have been decomposing in there! I wouldn't go in there without gas detection kit. I'd say Chris is quite wise to stop you from going in there.

 

[CHRIS]

Much to my delight darling husband had also forbidden me from entering the rainwater tank, asserting it is a job for skilled professionals, presenting dangers of suffocation and slipperiness. Imagine a rainwater tank that has never been cleaned or filtered in twenty years. That mud is going to have to be suctioned out. I am to find a brave soul willing to undertake its cleaning and relining today.

Well I spoke to a number of people today, most of whom turned their noses up at cleaning out my rainwater tank. Many spoke of the need for a Certificate to Work in Enclosed Spaces. :shock: Is it true? You need a certificate to clean out a tank these days?

One lovely man did say I could have the contents of his bowser for free though.

If you were hiring tools to clean out a tank, what tools would they be, assuming you'd like to avoid entering the tank? I'm thinking of some kind of suction pump to pump out the mud and some kind of pressure washer to hose it all out.

If there is a leak in the tank, a pressure washer doesn't sound like a terribly good idea though. Furthermore, they use copious quantities of water and if you squirted it down a 12 foot hole with a metal bottom, wouldn't it just create a huge, filthy jet of water high into the air and potentially against the house?

Also, do you think that mud would be a nutritious mulch? Or finish off my poor dehydrated roses in one fell swoop?

"confined space" means any place, including any chamber, tank, vat, silo, pit, trench, pipe, sewer, flue, well or other similar space in which, by virtue of its enclosed nature, there arises a reasonably foreseeable specified risk;

Too right you need a Confined Spaces Ticket to do this type of work, also if you ask and pay someone to go in and clean it and they dont have the correct paperwork you can be held liable. Beware!

Duties
3. - (1) Every employer shall -

(a) ensure compliance with the provisions of these Regulations in respect of any work carried out by his employees; and

(b) ensure compliance, so far as is reasonably practicable, with the provisions of these Regulations in respect of any work carried out by persons other than his employees insofar as the provisions relate to matters which are within his control.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/seweindx.htm

What do you mean these days? We dont live in Victorian Britain and cant just send small boys with a stick into a hole!!!!

 

[JoceAndChris]

What do you mean these days? We dont live in Victorian Britain and cant just send small boys with a stick into a hole!!!!

Pity, damn sight more useful then sending 'em to school.

You were all for beating them up a couple of months ago! Now you don't want them to get their boots muddy.

It's a huge metal room with a bloody great opening at the top. B *gger it , I'll leave the top off for a few days and go down myself if no one else will.

 

[Flyfisher]

You're probably joking Joce but be aware than many noxious gases are heavier than air so leaving the top off the tank won't necessarily do any good.
It's also not the sort of thing to do alone, just in case . . .

 

[outlaw]

Whatever you do, be careful. I fell ill for quite a while after removing an 8 yard skip full of rubbish out of our well, someone suggested Blackwater fever, I never found out and its getting too late to google it, nonetheless there are many nasty things that could be lurking in there.

Tony

 

[worms]

Blackwater is malaria - when the urine goes black as a result of the kidneys no longer coping with the volume of haemoglobin from the ruptured red cells. I think we gave up believing the "bad air" source for malaria a wee while ago, but if the bottom of your well is anything like mine, goodness knows what is lurking down there!

 

[JoceAndChris]

things have been decomposing in there!

goodness knows what is lurking down there!

nonetheless there are many nasty things that could be lurking in there.

You're probably joking Joce but be aware than many noxious gases are heavier than air so leaving the top off the tank won't necessarily do any good.
It's also not the sort of thing to do alone, just in case . . .

OK, OK, OK, you've put me off. You've also put me off using this decomposing stuff on my precious Gentle Hermiones and ancient ramblers. But bear in mind I've been taking a bath in water pumped up from this tank without any treatment or filters, alright, I erupted in boils once or twice at the beginning, before my skin adapted, but I've basically been fine.

A nice man is coming today, with a certificate in Tight Spaces, and the intention to clean it out without entering.

 

[CHRIS]

What do you mean these days? We dont live in Victorian Britain and cant just send small boys with a stick into a hole!!!!

Pity, damn sight more useful then sending 'em to school.

You were all for beating them up a couple of months ago! Now you don't want them to get their boots muddy.

It's a huge metal room with a bloody great opening at the top. B *gger it , I'll leave the top off for a few days and go down myself if no one else will.

I only want to beat the idle ones who hang around on street corners and b%ggering up my plants, I work hard every day on some of the biggest construction projects in the country and abroad making sure people dont get hurt or injured due to lack of PPE or managers and clients lack of knowledge pushing people to do things that they should not. It has nothing to do with not wanting to get their boots muddy.

Joking aside I insist you are very careful doing this type of job as it can very easily go wrong due to a small build up of CO2 - you getting dizzy (Not that you are not already) tripping over and banging your head - your other half not being able to lift you out of a small opening due to lack of strength (have you ever tried to lift an unconscious person up as I have and I consider myself fairly strong) and it all goes wrong real quick. I am only worried for a reason and I have seen the aftermath of this type of thing so be careful.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Forgive yesterday's cataleptic response.

I only want to beat the idle ones who hang around on street corners

Don't blame you.

b%ggering up my plants... injured due to lack of PPE...

"Buggering up your plants"? = Weeing on the dahlias?
"Lack of PPE"= lack of Philosophy, Politics, Economics?

Dizzy, me? :shock:

But, thanks for your real concern and caring, I won't go and play in the rainwater tank.

xx

 

[Feltwell]

But, thanks for your real concern and caring, I won't go and play in the rainwater tank.
xx

Very wise! I too have worked on construction projects, including one on contaminated land - where a tannery used to be many years ago, so you can imagine what kind of nasties existed in the soil there. I had to help drag 2 men, both much smaller than myself, out of an open hole that was only about 5' deep - and it was very hard indeed. Trying to get them up a ladder through a tank access hatch would have been nigh-on impossible.

And how did they end up passing out? Forgot to turn on their gas detector.

 

[CHRIS]

"Lack of PPE"= lack of Philosophy, Politics, Economics

Personal protective equipment

"Buggering up your plants"? = Weeing on the dahlias?

Just ripping them up and stuffing them through my letter box - W$%^ers!!!

 

[Penners]

Well, I trust that your darling husband will get a big hug of gratitude for commanding* you not to enter the Pit of Hell. He had your best interests at heart, and was quite right.

If you'd perished and decayed, you might have polluted the water for miles around.



*Mrs P finds it hilarious when I command her, despite the fact that she once promised to "love, honour and obey" me. I suppose one out of three ain't bad. :|