Something in the Water

For the last few weeks I have been certain that there has been a smell to our water.  I thought it may be chlorine but it was a strong smell, it made me queasy smelling water freshly out of the tap.  I rang Yorkshire Water (who were lovely) and they asked me to boil some water in a pan.

I boiled the water in a pan.  It still smelled a little odd.  Apparently stuff can come back from a washing machine and dishwasher and contaminate the water with phenols.  I didn't really follow the whole story.  They are sending some valves out to fit and fix the problem.

That night the pipe burst at the back.  A lot of water ran through, it was trickling down the front steps and into their yard.  I haven't been able to find out exactly what happened, but I can make some deductions.  First, we hardly ever heard anyone in the house.  Second, you do not get two police vans for a burst pipe.  Third, someone connected with the police was putting rubbish in a skip.  I believe they were connected with the police as the van was still there and they didn't look like the Landlord's usual workforce (who make Shameless look like Savile Row).  These were not wearing the sort of coveralls you see on the news and in police dramas, so not a violent crime.  Fourth, the skip had lots of sort of tubing, like you would get for vents of a tumble dryer, and lots of hosepipes.  I suspect they were growing drugs.

Now that the stuff has been removed and it has all quietened down the water is okay.  There is a faint chlorine scent, but nothing like it was.  I wonder if something has been coming from the house at the back, as our water comes through there before passing through us and then on to next door.  Perhaps there was something but it has all been flushed out by the massive outrush of water.  Perhaps I have just imagined it all.

I'll never find out, but at least the water is getting back to normal and the kitchen no longer smells of seaweed.