The owner of the house I'm renting from called up the city about 2 weeks ago to come out and take a look at some water leakage around the property. On a rainy day you can't tell which is water run off and which is the leak. So it's not really bad but it's an issue.  At the time of the phone call nobody was sure who's side on the yard it was on (city's responibility or ours/landlords).  Mmmkay. So the landlord tells me that the city is like the cable company "they'll come out between this date and this date" Nobody is quite sure when.  I was never informed.  
So I wake up this morning to feed the dog, do my rounds, and start the day. I go to turn on the water and absolutely ZERO comes out.  I poke my head out the back slider and see there is an orange cone over the water meter.  Here I'm thinking Yippie! It's finally going to be fixed (hoping that the utility company is just out of my view working on the problem).  No no no...couldn't be that easy.  I open the garage door and all that stands out there is this orange cone.  Turns out the city took it upon themselves to disconnect our water for us without, you know...24-48hr warning...on a Friday.

After saying a few choice words aloud to myself about the city...I open my front door and find a work order on my door handle that basically states the problem is on OUR side of the yard (which is not a big deal in and of itself) and then in the comments box the wise, presumably college educated man writes: "Leak is in yard behind water meter...had to shut off - lots of water going out on the ground"  Uuhmmmm..yeaaaah.  God forbid there is water on our neighborhood streets...in western washington...

I'm not a plumber, and I don't intend on paying a plumber to come out on a weekend.  Are these meters usually electronically shut off? Because it looks like it is an electronically controlled valve. If it is I'm going to have to suck it up and call.

-Rob

I thought you were going to tell us about getting stopped again.

The electronics is so they can read your meter remotely. Just turn the valve back on. Standing water in your yard. Imagine that. Especially after all the "sunshine" we've had lately.

Yeah. I did a little search on da internet and figured out how to turn it back on...learn something new every day ...well...now I'm gonna put some tape over the work order to protect it from the rain, hang it around the orange cone, and write: "Well I'll be damned...it does leak"

I'll get it fixed on Monday.  Ridiculous.

-Rob

At least you dog wasn't shot.

Quoted: Yeah. I did a little search on da internet and figured out how to turn it back on...learn something new every day ...well...now I'm gonna put some tape over the work order to protect it from the rain, hang it around the orange cone, and write: "Well I'll be damned...it does leak" I'll get it fixed on Monday.  Ridiculous. -Rob

Wouldnt there be a significant down side to turning the water back on that the utility thought they turned off? Just curious b/c everywhere Ive lived turning thinks back on once theyve left doesnt go over real well.

Whelp the way I see it - The water meter is going and I'm paying for the water going in the street.  So I don't have any qualms if it means I have to do this to be able to take a shower.

Right...but youre using logic and its been my expperience that most utilities deal in power (as in I will beat you w/ all sorts of fees, hassle, stonewalling and legal actions if you dont kiss the ground I walk on...and enjoy it) rather than logic or common sense. Its almost like govt in the sense that the feel the need to remind you that youre there to fulfill their every whim. Messing w/ their equipment puts you on their turf.

I just keep reminding myself every day.  "Gov't is here to SERVE us, we do NOT serve them."

And uh...yeah...thats how i get through the day

-Rob

Quoted: I just keep reminding myself every day.  "Gov't is here to SERVE us, we do NOT serve them." And uh...yeah...thats how i get through the day -Rob

I would definitely lead off w/ that thought when the utility guy returns. Might as well get your best hits in first....

Why is everyone so scared of .gov? If worse comes to worse I'm just going to sit in the bushes with my pink bunny slippers on waiting for him to test my mental stability.



-Rob

Quoted: Why is everyone so scared of .gov? -Rob

It's not our fault Rob.  We were all given the Koolaid early in grade school.  Some of use went back for seconds.  

Quoted: Why is everyone so scared of .gov? If worse comes to worse I'm just going to sit in the bushes with my pink bunny slippers on waiting for him to test my mental stability. -Rob

Ummmm...not scared...just hate the stupid hoop jumping (time wasting) necessary to make everything all good again. There are better ways to pick fights than a frontal assualt.

re: pink bunny slippers, mental state, etc: I see. I dont think the utility guy is going to see that as part of his job description. One look at you and he's going to get Mr Policeman involved whos certain to have several devices for 'testing' pain threshold.

Its a non-issue. (I can't believe I'm sticking up for him. ) Rob is gonna get billed for the water that goes through the meter. From a health and practical stand point the utility can not turn off your water without warning. In fact the demarc on the utilities responsiblity is the outlet of the water meter. Beyond that they have no control or responsiblity.

Quoted: It's not our fault Rob.  We were all given the Koolaid early in grade school.  Some of use went back for seconds.

*LOL*  


Funniest thing I've heard in a long time.  Wow. That made my week!

awwww....WHEW! *wipes tear from eye*

-Rob