Thames Water wasters strike again.

[buseng]

At this moment in time there is NO water in this area (RG30/31). All there is is some garbled message on their website which doesn't help anyone. Can't flush the bog, run the washing machine or anything. We see who's laughing when they see my monthly direct debit cancelled.
They give a 12 hour possible window for re-instatement!

[piwacket]

Well if you cancel your DD - who will supply your water then?

[Voiceoftreason?]

Got water here Bus. Must be the famous Tilehurst drought phenomenon at work

[buseng]

Well if you cancel your DD - who will supply your water then?

Why should I pay for a service I'm not receiving? If you or anyone else can access the Tilehurst group on Facebook everyone is up in arms about it. Massive queues at the water bottle point in Stadium Way.

[buseng]

Got water here Bus. Must be the famous Tilehurst drought phenomenon at work

A big joke to you isn't it. It's affected at least two postcode areas, that's a lot of people. Hope it happens to you, then we'll see who's laughing.

[carless-jane]

I'm in RG30 and no problems here.

[Voiceoftreason?]

Got water here Bus. Must be the famous Tilehurst drought phenomenon at work

A big joke to you isn't it. It's affected at least two postcode areas, that's a lot of people. Hope it happens to you, then we'll see who's laughing.

That your best shot or can you be any nastier? Knock yourself out Bus.

[Pooneil]

Well if you cancel your DD - who will supply your water then?

Why should I pay for a service I'm not receiving?

First of all I suggest that you check your terms and conditions of service with Thames Water - you'll no doubt find that they are not legally obliged to supply you with running water every millisecond of the day. They are entitled to have some outages in their service under the contract you've signed with them - I'm afraid you'll look rather the little Richard if you cancel your DD. (And I seem to remember you've been told before that your contracts with the various utility companies doesn't promise, guarantee or entitle you to unfettered supply 24/7)
Additionally, not only does their update seem quite straightforward, but it does mention that if they don't get it restored within 12 hours, your Thames Water account will automatically be credited with £30 after the first 12 hours, plus £30 additional compensation for every further 12-hour period. Now I reckon £30 is about what I pay Thames Water for 2 months service, so I suspect that's a rather better deal than having a tantrum, cancelling my DD and demanding that I don't pay whatever fraction of my water bill usually covers 12 hours - probably about 25 pence.

If you or anyone else can access the Tilehurst group on Facebook everyone is up in arms about it.

There was a similar problem in some parts of RG2 and RG7 earlier today, but that seems to be sorted now; local social media seemed to be relatively calm. Clearly we're not as excitable as those in the wild west...

[buseng]

Well if you cancel your DD - who will supply your water then?

Why should I pay for a service I'm not receiving?

First of all I suggest that you check your terms and conditions of service with Thames Water - you'll no doubt find that they are not legally obliged to supply you with running water every millisecond of the day. They are entitled to have some outages in their service under the contract you've signed with them - I'm afraid you'll look rather the little Richard if you cancel your DD. (And I seem to remember you've been told before that your contracts with the various utility companies doesn't promise, guarantee or entitle you to unfettered supply 24/7)
Additionally, not only does their update seem quite straightforward, but it does mention that if they don't get it restored within 12 hours, your Thames Water account will automatically be credited with £30 after the first 12 hours, plus £30 additional compensation for every further 12-hour period. Now I reckon £30 is about what I pay Thames Water for 2 months service, so I suspect that's a rather better deal than having a tantrum, cancelling my DD and demanding that I don't pay whatever fraction of my water bill usually covers 12 hours - probably about 25 pence.

If you or anyone else can access the Tilehurst group on Facebook everyone is up in arms about it.

There was a similar problem in some parts of RG2 and RG7 earlier today, but that seems to be sorted now; local social media seemed to be relatively calm. Clearly we're not as excitable as those in the wild west...

Regarding your last paragraph, in your words "earlier today", most people would of been at work etc, so not affected as much. This time of night most people are back home getting meals & doing their "ablutions" etc.

[buseng]

Got water here Bus. Must be the famous Tilehurst drought phenomenon at work

A big joke to you isn't it. It's affected at least two postcode areas, that's a lot of people. Hope it happens to you, then we'll see who's laughing.

That your best shot or can you be any nastier? Knock yourself out Bus.

You weren't exactly pleasant boasting the fact you have water when others haven't. Similar remarks are being posted on FB. Too many people revel in other's misfortunes.

[Voiceoftreason?]

A big joke to you isn't it. It's affected at least two postcode areas, that's a lot of people. Hope it happens to you, then we'll see who's laughing.

That your best shot or can you be any nastier? Knock yourself out Bus.

You weren't exactly pleasant boasting the fact you have water when others haven't. Similar remarks are being posted on FB. Too many people revel in other's misfortunes.

Me? Not pleasant? That’s a bit pot calling the (empty) kettle, black isn’t it. Nah, not me - I’m too busy running a nice warm deep bath

[buseng]

That your best shot or can you be any nastier? Knock yourself out Bus.

You weren't exactly pleasant boasting the fact you have water when others haven't. Similar remarks are being posted on FB. Too many people revel in other's misfortunes.

Me? Not pleasant? That’s a bit pot calling the (empty) kettle, black isn’t it. Nah, not me - I’m too busy running a nice warm deep bath

Don't know what you mean.

[Voiceoftreason?]

You weren't exactly pleasant boasting the fact you have water when others haven't. Similar remarks are being posted on FB. Too many people revel in other's misfortunes.

Me? Not pleasant? That’s a bit pot calling the (empty) kettle, black isn’t it. Nah, not me - I’m too busy running a nice warm deep bath

Don't know what you mean.

Don’t have a pop at me and expect no comeback.

[buseng]

As far as Burghfield seem to be affected.
https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/readi ... r-19061449

[windrush]

With electrcity and gas it usually has to be off for 24 hours to get a refund, I don't know if water is the same though?

Pete.

[Pooneil]

With electrcity and gas it usually has to be off for 24 hours to get a refund, I don't know if water is the same though?

Pete.

Per https://www.thameswater.co.uk/about-us/ ... commitment

If your water supply turns off unexpectedly, we’ll always aim to have your supply back to normal within 12 hours.

If we don’t meet this standard, we’ll automatically credit your Thames Water account with £30 after the first 12 hours, plus £30 additional compensation for every further 12-hour period.

We’ll tell you we’ve paid this within 20 working days so that you don’t need to do anything.

[Pooneil]

Why should I pay for a service I'm not receiving?

First of all I suggest that you check your terms and conditions of service with Thames Water - you'll no doubt find that they are not legally obliged to supply you with running water every millisecond of the day. They are entitled to have some outages in their service under the contract you've signed with them - I'm afraid you'll look rather the little Richard if you cancel your DD. (And I seem to remember you've been told before that your contracts with the various utility companies doesn't promise, guarantee or entitle you to unfettered supply 24/7)
Additionally, not only does their update seem quite straightforward, but it does mention that if they don't get it restored within 12 hours, your Thames Water account will automatically be credited with £30 after the first 12 hours, plus £30 additional compensation for every further 12-hour period. Now I reckon £30 is about what I pay Thames Water for 2 months service, so I suspect that's a rather better deal than having a tantrum, cancelling my DD and demanding that I don't pay whatever fraction of my water bill usually covers 12 hours - probably about 25 pence.

If you or anyone else can access the Tilehurst group on Facebook everyone is up in arms about it.

There was a similar problem in some parts of RG2 and RG7 earlier today, but that seems to be sorted now; local social media seemed to be relatively calm. Clearly we're not as excitable as those in the wild west...

Regarding your last paragraph, in your words "earlier today", most people would of been at work etc, so not affected as much. This time of night most people are back home getting meals & doing their "ablutions" etc.

Many people are working from home these days. Plus some local schools were then closed early because of this. But please feel free to play "I was more inconvenienced than you". Plenty of people were affected and commenting about it - they just weren't "all up in arms" like the Tilehurst Temperamentals...

[windrush]

With electrcity and gas it usually has to be off for 24 hours to get a refund, I don't know if water is the same though?

Pete.

Per https://www.thameswater.co.uk/about-us/ ... commitment

If your water supply turns off unexpectedly, we’ll always aim to have your supply back to normal within 12 hours.

If we don’t meet this standard, we’ll automatically credit your Thames Water account with £30 after the first 12 hours, plus £30 additional compensation for every further 12-hour period.

We’ll tell you we’ve paid this within 20 working days so that you don’t need to do anything.

That's very good, can't say fairer than that. Our electric power was off in the area for 23 hours a few years ago, if it had taken another hour we would have got £20 back.

Pete.

[THC]

At this moment in time there is NO water in this area (RG30/31). All there is is some garbled message on their website which doesn't help anyone. Can't flush the bog, run the washing machine or anything. We see who's laughing when they see my monthly direct debit cancelled.
They give a 12 hour possible window for re-instatement!

Perhaps you should take this opportunity to realise and be thankful how lucky you are to have access to cheap, clean and safe water, unlike many people in our world. Some facts:

• 785 million people lack even a basic drinking-water service, including 144 million people who are dependent on surface water.

• Globally, at least 2 billion people use a drinking water source contaminated with faeces.

• Contaminated water can transmit diseases such diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio. Contaminated drinking water is estimated to cause 485 000 diarrhoeal deaths each year.

• In least developed countries, 22% of health care facilities have no water service, 21% no sanitation service, and 22% no waste management service.

[Voiceoftreason?]

Wouldn’t it be a nice gesture to donate the £30 for the inconvenience of not having water for 12 hours, to WaterAid - to people that don’t have access to clean, cheap, safe water like us.......

[buseng]

At this moment in time there is NO water in this area (RG30/31). All there is is some garbled message on their website which doesn't help anyone. Can't flush the bog, run the washing machine or anything. We see who's laughing when they see my monthly direct debit cancelled.
They give a 12 hour possible window for re-instatement!

Perhaps you should take this opportunity to realise and be thankful how lucky you are to have access to cheap, clean and safe water, unlike many people in our world. Some facts:

• 785 million people lack even a basic drinking-water service, including 144 million people who are dependent on surface water.

• Globally, at least 2 billion people use a drinking water source contaminated with faeces.

• Contaminated water can transmit diseases such diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio. Contaminated drinking water is estimated to cause 485 000 diarrhoeal deaths each year.

• In least developed countries, 22% of health care facilities have no water service, 21% no sanitation service, and 22% no waste management service.

You are coming out with the same wording as many on FB. To me you are playing the guilt trick. Or put it another way, trying to make people feel guilty.
Apart from that the same excuse in different forms is now being trotted out, last weekend's rain is being blamed. One story is that it has overwhelmed the reservoirs & cannot be pumped out quick enough. The other is that the rain water has contaminated the reservoirs, don't understand that one because I thought the water was cleaned & purified anyway.

[Mayfield]

When they fix it and turn it back on I hope there’s a good dose of 'sense of proportion added'

Life isn’t,t perfect, we just have to do our best to minimise the discomfort if something happens to us...

I guess you don't have a water butt and a bucket ( for toilet flushing ) ?

[lizwing]

Customers in nine postcodes of London and two in Reading said not being able to wash their hands was a coronavirus risk.
Thames Water said engineers were investigating and would do everything they could to get supplies returned as quickly as possible. 
The outage, thought to have started at about 4.30pm, affected homes in postcodes E6, E7, E10, E11, E12, E13, E15, E16 and E20, as well as RG30 and RG31.
In London, some people started buying bottled water to wash their hands, and others complained they could not get through to Thames Water on the phone.
In Reading, Thames Water was giving out bottled water. “Please be considerate and don’t take more than you need,” it posted on its website.
Water chiefs apologised for the outagr, adding: "We know how worrying and inconvenient this is.
“We are experiencing a high number of calls at the moment. Only call if it's an emergency. Rest assured, we're doing all we can to get the issue resolved

[Pooneil]

At this moment in time there is NO water in this area (RG30/31). All there is is some garbled message on their website which doesn't help anyone. Can't flush the bog, run the washing machine or anything. We see who's laughing when they see my monthly direct debit cancelled.
They give a 12 hour possible window for re-instatement!

Perhaps you should take this opportunity to realise and be thankful how lucky you are to have access to cheap, clean and safe water, unlike many people in our world. Some facts:

• 785 million people lack even a basic drinking-water service, including 144 million people who are dependent on surface water.

• Globally, at least 2 billion people use a drinking water source contaminated with faeces.

• Contaminated water can transmit diseases such diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio. Contaminated drinking water is estimated to cause 485 000 diarrhoeal deaths each year.

• In least developed countries, 22% of health care facilities have no water service, 21% no sanitation service, and 22% no waste management service.

You are coming out with the same wording as many on FB. To me you are playing the guilt trick. Or put it another way, trying to make people feel guilty.
Apart from that the same excuse in different forms is now being trotted out, last weekend's rain is being blamed. One story is that it has overwhelmed the reservoirs & cannot be pumped out quick enough. The other is that the rain water has contaminated the reservoirs, don't understand that one because I thought the water was cleaned & purified anyway.

Because of the fairly extreme nature of last weekend's rainfall and the fact that it caused a lot of runoff from surrounding land into the rivers, dragging a lot of soil and dirt with it, the influx of the water was very mucky, and all this extra "non-water" has not yet settled in the reservoirs and so overwhelmed the extraction stations - they're designed to deal with reservoirs full of fairly clear water (where all the sediment has settled), whereas the rush of incoming "flood" water with all the accompanying dirt means that the water is too cloudy to go through the extraction stations as the filters get clogged up.

[Jude]

Back on again, though possibly not quite at full pressure.

Thanks for the more reasoned responses here, and especially VoT for that very good suggestion of what to do with the £30 if it comes - dunno what time it came back on though..

And dunno if they had to dig up any roads.......

[Fed-up]

Sonning and Woodley had this problem about 3 years ago - https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/readi ... r-13873254

Sadly there was no compensation because it was deemed to be beyond their control.

Though most people just took it in their stride and coped as best they could.

[Hooped]

Oh, the irony!

[Jude]

Forgot to say - made use of the, currently plentiful, supply of stored rainwater..

[buseng]

Believe it or not they are now blaming a burst main in London! Some 30/40 miles away. Whatever.
https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/readi ... r-19062352

It's even the opposite end of Reading to London.

[OLDMAN]

With electrcity and gas it usually has to be off for 24 hours to get a refund, I don't know if water is the same though?

Pete.

Per https://www.thameswater.co.uk/about-us/ ... commitment

If your water supply turns off unexpectedly, we’ll always aim to have your supply back to normal within 12 hours.

If we don’t meet this standard, we’ll automatically credit your Thames Water account with £30 after the first 12 hours, plus £30 additional compensation for every further 12-hour period.

We’ll tell you we’ve paid this within 20 working days so that you don’t need to do anything.

And when there is a problem like this they supply free bottled water as well
And if really bad get the tankers out

[THC]

From the getreading story:

“Thames Water staff were distributing water from a station at 8 Stadium Way, Reading, RG30 6BX.“

[buseng]

From the getreading story:

“Thames Water staff were distributing water from a station at 8 Stadium Way, Reading, RG30 6BX.“

Also mentions the "freeloaders" who don't even live in the affected areas grabbing free water. Plus traffic in the area being reported as totally manic last night.

[Fed-up]

Believe it or not they are now blaming a burst main in London! Some 30/40 miles away. Whatever.
https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/readi ... r-19062352

It's even the opposite end of Reading to London.

Yep. Looks like a misreport by GR because I can't see any such comment in the article now.

[Mayfield]

Yes, of course Buseng, there are hundreds of people just waiting around for bottles of free water when they don,t need them.

Try finding some joy in the fact that people WERE being helped , rather than the thought that someone was taking advantage.

It must be very wearing to be so negative the whole time

[Fed-up]

From the getreading story:

“Thames Water staff were distributing water from a station at 8 Stadium Way, Reading, RG30 6BX.“

Also mentions the "freeloaders" who don't even live in the affected areas grabbing free water. Plus traffic in the area being reported as totally manic last night.

To be expected. There are a lot of people without water and handing out bottled water in times of COVID and social distancing will reduce the number of people that can get water at any time.