Neighbour's Flood

Lizzy took Jarrah for a walk, early this afternoon and she called me from half-way up our road to let me know that it looked like a water main had burst and there was lots of water pouring down into the property of Graeme & Jill, the people across the road from us.  So, I went up to have a look at it and she was right, so I gave the water company a call and ran to Graeme & Jill's house to see if they knew that torrents of water were flowing down the hill and potentially into their house.  But they weren't home!!

I tried to call Graeme's mobile, but it was going straight through to his voicemail.  I left a message but didn't have Jill's mobile number, so then I called the State Emergency Service and let them know that we needed assistance.  But they said unless they had the permission of the property owners, they would not be able to come onto the property to help.  They said they would call the local CFA crew and get them to come as soon as possible anyway, just in case I got through to Graeme or Jill.


Then I called Peter & Ruth, the other neighbours two doors up and thankfully they were both home and came across in boots and with spades.  Peter dug another channel for the water that was torrenting out of the burst main, which directed it around the house, and used some concrete blocks to build a dam across the original course that the water was taking.

These photos were taken long after the flood had subsided.

But it had risen up to the door stops and was threatening to go inside by this stage, so Ruth and I grabbed some brooms and started sweeping away from the house.

Finally the water company's truck arrived and they switched off the mains pipe.  This was only just in time, as Ruth and I were losing the battle to keep the water from entering the house.  The water company's men got to work digging holes and fixing the pipe, while Peter, Ruth and I continued to sweep water away and mop up around the house.       I sent Graeme a text message to say that everything was under control now and that no water seemed to have got in.  I'm not sure when he will get that message.  The CFA hadn't turned up during the hour since I had called, so I called the State Emergency Service again to say that the water company had turned off the pipe and we had dealt with the flood, so there really wasn't any point them coming now.   I have also left a note on Graeme & Jill's front door for when they get home to give me a call.  Otherwise they will come home and see the wet all around their house and their garden half washed-away and wonder what on earth has happened!   **sigh** Just another day!!