Water about to be shut off. Household of 14 over Christmas.

[HelloVeritas]

Send prayers. Southern Water warning we could be without water later today and over Christmas due to burst water main.

We are hosting a large multi generational household this year of very excited family but I need help to plan ahead from the Mumsnet preppers.

I'm up now peeling all the Christmas veg while we do still have water.

Plan so far is:

1. everyone have a poo
2. use the pond for water supply to flush loos
3. drink champagne to remain hydrated
4. shave legs now while still possible

I feel that there must be more to it then that, what have I missed? 🤣

Water is only delivered to vulnerable households. The rest of us have to collect it from water stations - which is very difficult if you don't have a car as they tend to be on the outskirts of town.

Fill every container available with water including the bath if you have one.

theunbreakablecleopatrajones

we live rural Ireland and there’s regular burst pipes or road works down the road. Lovely place to live other than that!

Alcohol actually dehydrates you. You're better off drinking more soft drinks like lemonade.

buy bottled water in quantity.

buy some plastic buckets and Elsan blue toilet fluid or bin liners for poo's

Phone all the people due to come and let them decide what to do. You can always rearrange for the weekend once the water is back on.

Fill the bath, every receptacle you can think of and be prepared to tell people - especially men - to pee in the garden.

Oh dear! Fingers crossed for you. Get foil trays for all the cooking.

OP you sound admirably capable and positive about all this. I'm sure your household won't go down with cholera for the helpfully short period you're without water, but given that you seem inclined towards looking on the bright side or laughing in the face of adversity, you could always build an outdoor latrine pit (and bill Southern Water to clear it up afterwards)? I think a bucket-chain from the pond to the indoor loos for regular flushing sounds like a new Christmas family tradition that you could incorporate into easier Christmases to come. Perhaps wearing party hats?

Relax! You can flush with a bucket of water.

Paper plates & cups!!!!!

Spirit of Christmas right here, folks! Look, it's about conquering adversity and having something to laugh about, not insisting that every single Christmas has to be Insta-worthy and perfect? Probably most people are turning up on the day anyway so why would they be unwashed? She has a pond for flushing, I assume she has buckets. Have you never had the water cut off before? It will be fine. We all know about 70% alcohol hand gel now.

OP I think you should tell each of your guests to arrive with their own water. Tell them to bring a bucketful. It'll make the motorway trips a bit fraught but I'm sure it'll be ok and better than draining local mains.

We got a text saying we were getting water delivered and it came at about 8pm last night.
We have 12 bottles for a family of 4 and 7 animals.
I made sure my kids had a shower and washed their hair and I did the same, I filled all the animals waters up and our kettle is filled to the brim.
I won’t stockpile because it’s silly, we are all clean and we have water to drink.
I have also made sure elderly I know have water. Hopefully if the water does go off it won’t be for as long this time.
Only real pain is the washing clothes and washing up. But merry Christmas Hastings!

Phew!

https://www.southernwater.co.uk/latest-news/hastings-burst-water-main/

All attendees to bring a few litres of bottled water.

Doubt anyone would suddenly want to host that lot at such short notice!

If your 'host' called and said, 'we aren't going to have running water, would you be ok with us using your house as a venue'
Your aren't exactly going to say 'No sorry its not suitable' unless you are in the middle of decorating then you can't really say no.
You might be a bit WTF but I'd rather have 14 folk here with deckchairs than to have to run around with buckets 🪣 to remove evidence of my poops 💩

The Op clearly already has food, nibbles, crackers etc.
What would the guest / now venue provider need to do other than hoover?

Decamp to the nearest family member's home with water.

Otherwise, if it's yellow let it mellow - if it's brown flush it down. Lol.

It doesn't look like it's going to be turned off at all now. They are already pumping water through the repaired pipe. They are saying it might be slightly limited for a while this evening but otherwise it's been fine.

Bottled water.

Can you get some containers to fill before the water is cut off, preferably with lids and that can't be knocked over. Put them in the correct room. Some in the bathroom for flushing the loo. Some by sinks for hand washing. By the kettle. By the stove. etc.

Fill up some buckets so you can flush the loo before the water gets cut off

Fill the kettle and whatever pots you are using to cook veg. Get some big water bottles for drinking. Definitely get everyone to shower.

OP, have you had a message from Southern Water themselves. I am in the town just south of the burst pipe - I was diverted by the closed road on my way home from work yesterday, and although our postcode has been listed and Im a priority user, Ive not heard anything. I was surprised because I thought your big town had water coming in from the West, not the reservoir up by us, and so we would be cut off too.

Are they not putting on a replacement water bowser system? Our village water main keeps collapsing and the water co attach a series of water tanker lorries whilst they do the repairs. It sometimes takes a few days and about 50 lorries

Everyone have a big shower and wash hair ?
Buy bottled water for humans and pets or fill up suitable receptacles