Water shut-off
“I never drink water; that is the
stuff that rusts pipes.”
—W.C. Fields
It doesn't happen very often but in condo apartment buildings, the
water supply can be shutdown for maintenance leaving you without
running water for anywhere from a couple of hours to a day or more.
Usually the water is turned off for regular minor maintenance but, at
times, it can happen when the building is replacing water pipes or when
a water line unexpectedly burst.
When you live on the 22nd floor and you get up in the morning, it is no
joke to turn on the tap and have no water. That is when you realize
just how important water is to daily life.
Notice
Normally you will receive one or more days notice that the water will
be turned off and this notice will state the estimated times you will
be without water.
So use this heads-up to do some planning. Fill your kettle and a couple
of clean covered containers in the kitchen. This will give you water
for your morning tea or coffee. Some people may prefer to stock up on
bottled water.
After you have your shower, partially fill your bathtub with water.
This will give you water to flush the toilet and water your plants.
Persistent
water problems
A few older condos have ongoing problems with their water pressure.
Over a period of time, they can go a day or more with no water at all.
Then it gets fixed and a few days or weeks later, the problem is back.
In these rare cases, you can do what condo owners do in Asian countries
where they are use to having unreliable water pressure; buy a plastic
pail, put it in your bathroom and keep it filled with water.
Hopefully this would be a short-term solution to a short-term problem.
However, if you need to keep a supply of water on hand, empty and
refill the pail monthly, so the water does not get stagnant.
Pick a size that meets your estimated needs and will fit reasonably
well in your bathroom. Of course, you will want to pick a colour that
will fit in with your bath accessories.
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