Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Embarassing situation chez Pecka household

16 replies

PeckaRolloverAgain · 03/03/2007 08:58

Our outside drain has been blocked for a few days - I have tried Mr Muscle unblocker, bleach, hot water and eventually yesterday had my hand down pulling out all sorts of unmentionables - still blocked.

So..........I called a drain doctor out - they came to have a look and said that there was nothing he could do because the problem wasnt mine - apparently there was a blockage further up the street and everything was backing up in to my garden.

The situation was getting worse and DISGUSTING, poo was literally belching out of the manhole in the garden and was creating a sizeable pool of sewage in the garden. The smell was HIDEOUS.

The drain man said I needed to find out which neighbour had the problem and get them to take responsibility for it and ring up to sort it because until they got theirs sorted the problem was only going to get worse and in the mean time I couldnt flush toilet, use washer, sinks etcetc

If the neighbours werent prepared to sort it I was to ring environmental health who would make them sort it out.

Anyway...............spoke to my next door neighbour and explained what they had said and that her drain was also blocked etc etc she said she would get her husband to speak to their neighbours and see if it was originating from them.

Last night DD was staying at her Grandmas and DS went camping with his Dad so rather than stay in the house of POO on my own I went out with some friends to the gym and for a sauna then back to a friends to have a few drinks and escape the smell.

I get a text from my neighbour whilst I am out saying "We are unblocking the drains ourselves, is it OK to go in your garden and sort yours?"

OMG How embarassing - when I got back I rang her and it had taken them 3 hours but they eventually managed it. So whilst I was pampering myself in the gym my next door neighbours and the two house further up were all in my garden knee deep in my families most personal waste!

I am mortified, she said that they were all covered in it and it was disgusting but they managed it in the end.

I am SO grateful to them - what do you think I should give them? Money? Gifts?

The problem was never my fault so it woudlnt have been me paying for it but I feel very indebted to her that the problem has now gone and more than a little bit embarassed when I see the other neighbours who have been wading through the sewage in my garden!

Shall I just move?

Sorry this is long and very boring isnt it

Anywone get to the bottom?

OP posts:
themildmanneredjanitor · 03/03/2007 09:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Miaou · 03/03/2007 09:03

I think a bunch of flowers and a bottle of wine would be a very nice gesture. As you say, the problem wasn't of your making, but someone else came and sorted it for you without any complaint or expectation of you helping out - if it was me I would appreciate the thought!

edam · 03/03/2007 09:05

LOL at 'should I just move'.

Agree with mild, and just be bloody grateful (and happy to do them a HUGE favour should they ever need one).

SparklyGothKat · 03/03/2007 09:06

how nice of them to do it, I would have gagged at the smell, let alone unblocking it.

PeckaRolloverAgain · 03/03/2007 09:06

I SO appreciate it - my next door neighbour is a really lovely woman and we often help each other out when we can. Im quite stunned they did it to be honest but I suppose it was in their interests too as the drains were blocking up in their houses and it meant that the bill for whoever WAS responsible would be saved.

Im really pleased with teh whole neighbours pitching in to help me thing I would just really rather it hadnt have been MY poo they were shifting!

OP posts:
WanderingTrolley · 03/03/2007 09:07

pmsl at "Anywone get to the bottom?" as I'm in a puerile mood thanks to another thread.

Yes, chocs, wine, flowers and lovely aromatic bubble bath etc all round.

Miaou · 03/03/2007 09:08

lol at bubble bath!

PeckaRolloverAgain · 03/03/2007 09:08

Im thinking yesterday before I realised it wasnt my problem I was about to pay £150 to get it sorted - and happy to do so at that point as I was so desperate for it all to go away.

So Im thinking if I spend say £15 on each household on some flowers, wine and chocs its still saving me from what I thought I was going to have to pay and shows them how grateful I am.

My neighbours husband is a right joker and I just KNOW that I wont be living this down! There wil be jokes in the streets forever now I think

at thinking of the scene last night, Im so glad I wasnt here there was a river of sweetcorn and everything

OP posts:
finknottle · 03/03/2007 09:10

Know what you mean about being mortified but they must also have been wading through their own muck Think flowers would be lovely and appreciated. You didn't know they'd do it themselves and they could have left yours if they had really wanted to!

littlemissbossy · 03/03/2007 09:28

Pecka, some flowers might be nice, but I wouldn't loose too much sleep over it... why didn't they get someone in to do the job for them? I wouldn't want to clean my own drains never mind someone elses[puck]

VeniVidiVickiQV · 03/03/2007 09:33

Hmm. TBH, I wouldnt have bothered, but, I know from experience of growing up in a council property that a) if there is a council tennant on your row of houses/shared drain - you get them to call in because its no charge to you and b) the blockage is almost ALWAYS caused by someone else, and they really ought to have noticed it before you, or they sit quiet in the hope that someone else notices first so that they dont have to pay.

Cynic, me, never

PeckaRolloverAgain · 03/03/2007 09:34

I think when the drain man came to me and basically said its one of the other neighbours that will have to foot the ball they may have thought "shit(!) hope it isnt me that lands the bill" and decided to do something about it - I wouldnt but Im glad they did!

Can anyone advise on how I get the garden back to being safe to play outside? How the hell do you sanitize grass and soil etc where teh sewage was lying?

OP posts:
glitterfairy · 03/03/2007 09:37

LOL at this story its brill.

Water it in. It will do the grass loads of good to be honest and dont play on it till it has soaked in. I am sure we will have loads of rain soon anyway.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 03/03/2007 09:37

Just gotta rinse and rinse with a hose - open manhole/drain cover and wash it down. Maybe add a bit of washing up liquid to help the greasy deposits disperse.

Dont worry too much pecka, as long as there are no 'lumps' [boak] then a rinse will be just fine.

DimpledThighs · 03/03/2007 09:38

it was not your fault even if was your poo - flowers, chocs etc would be a gesture and it might be embarassing but you didn't do the big fat poo that blocked the drain.

satinshoes · 05/03/2007 12:53

why dont you go to the shops and buy them a 'chocolate log' as a thank you?

seriously, hope its all cleaned up now. sounds really yuk

New posts on this thread. Refresh page