Contaminated Water - Help?

[hippychick]

So today I got up and made myself some toast, very happy as it's my day off and I washed my hands with cold water just to rinse them off.

Well later I was running a bath and noticed the water was brown. Not like really really brown or anything but not clear like water should be. So I call up the landlord people and say wtf? My hot water is brown! They were very unhelpful and just said "Yeah we know there was a burst water mains and people have been working on it a few hours."

Thanks for the heads up there buddy!

So now I'm freaking the f*** out b/c I washed my hands with that and then ate, I didn't know anything was wrong, and all I can think is how my friend got really really sick once from a burst water main.

I feel so tired right now and so anxious, I've been trying to get hold of my mum all day and she's not picking up, the housing people are not helpful, they didn't even give us any bottled water or anything and just to make it worse I'm premesntrual so my anxiety levels are insane and my ability to cope is not good.

I've been so anxious lately, my job is ending at the end of this month, my boss is a bitch and I started having to get up @ 6am for work. Our electricity has also been coming and going lately due to a power point failure or some s***.

I feel like if I'm not anxious about the food being spoiled I'm anxious about germs. I can't even wash my hands again now and I don't think the anti bac stuff works from what people here say. I'm on the verge of tears all day and I feel like no one is helping and I'm going to get sick,

I just am so sick of never getting a break.

[cloughie]

You know if you turn the water off at the stop tapthere is still some water left in the pipe that needs to be drained off, so maybe the water you washed your hands with was still the water that was left in the pipe. Try thinking about the water being the bit left in the pipe and not the dirty brown that would have come through after.


The water you used for your hands wasn't brown because you would of noticed.

[hippychick]

Well I used the cold tap, which was never affected anyway it's just the hot water that has been affected. I'm not sure why, as I type this I'm not sure it makes sense but thats how it was working. I'm still freaked. I usually never touch my food but recently I've been way more relaxed. Not anymore.

[cloughie]

Everything is going to feel worse than it should becuase you're tired. The water you used was alright. I make sandwiches most day for lunch using my bare hands and i have always been alright. Your period and your tiredness is making you like this.


You need to sleep and you need to relax, is there a mate around you could spend some time with. Have a sleep and visit or phone a mate. There is nothing like being alone to raise your worries. Before you think "nope that wont work" try it and see.

[rubysoho120]

sorry this is happening to you...its not legal for them to turn your
water off and not tell you before they do it. i would report them. as
for the water i dont know but i would say that since the water you used
was clear that your probably okay. let me know how your doing...

[daffodil]

We have had brown water before, and it did not make us sick. they were working on the pipes, and it was sediment that made it brown. Try not to worry.[img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]

[tcsarah]

You will be perfectly ok. When we had some work done locally on the water mains acouple ofyears ago we were warned the water would be discoloured for several daysto aweek. We were told it was perfectly safe todrink this water even, not that we fancied a nice cool glass ofdiscoloured water! We did use it in the kettle for hot drinks though, and to clean our teeth, bath inetc. Nobody was ill, by the way!


I have drunk brown water from the tap before without realsiing until it was too late and I never got the slightest tummy upset.


Hope this helps!

[marieb73]

I think you will be fine. We had brown water once and I freaked, but it was because they were replacing pipes somewhere and it was rust or something.


Last summer there was a water main break that I didn't know aboutuntil afterI washed my hands and even brushed my teeth, though I didn't notice a color or smell to the water, and I was ok.


A water main break does not necessarily mean sewage is in the water.


However, I would use bottled water or boil the water really good if you intend to use it until the coast is clear.

[samara's on tv]

Where I live they work on the pipes CONSTANTLY it's rediculous, what they are doing I don't know, but they do. I NEVER drink water from the tap, just from bottles (That's cause the water in my apartment tastes funny) anyway I still use to brown water to wash my hands and bathe in and all that stuff and I've never gotten sick. I used to freak out like you but when I saw that the rest of my family was fine and using the water I calmed down. I think that if there was something that horribly wrong with the water they would have to tell you. I think you'll be fine!


~Monica