Don't drink the water

Preface - I apologize for these early blogs because some of them are out of order due to the fact that it took three weeks to get internet access in the villa.

After the AC "repair men" leave on the first day, Kel and I decide to take a shower so we can run some errands. We had originally planned on getting out earlier in the day, but the guys were supposed to be there "in five minutes". Anyway, we jump in the shower and as I'm shaving a leg, the water slows to a trickle. I look at Kelly and he's washing his face. Luckily, I had finished everything else and aside from one hairy leg I was clean.

I turn the faucet off and on - nothing. Ok, great. "There isn't any water is there?" Kel asks.
"Don't think so. Let me dry off and I'll see what I can get out of the sink." I am able to wet a wash cloth (barely) with water so he can rinse off his face. Figures. No big deal, we'll call the maintenance people tomorrow and it will be fixed. There's nothing that can be done tonight.

First thing in the morning I call the Ranches maintenance people. I tell them the situation and ask what time someone can be out there. I know what you're thinking....they'll be there in 5 minutes, but no, I get the worst response possible in Dubai..."they'll be there as soon as possible". I start yelling at the guy about how I need running water now because I have a baby. He won't give me an approximate time and I ask for a three hour window. "Madam, I cannot give you a time window, they'll be there as soon as possible."

I give up and realize that I'll probably be sitting at the villa without a shower until the evening. However, I was pleasantly surprised when the workers showed up about an hour later. I explain the lack of water and of course I have to show the guy how nothing comes out of the faucet. He goes back outside and lifts this big steel cover and points down in it. "It's too low."

I was under the faulty impression that our water came from pipes. Apparently there's a cistern in the front that is filled from who knows where. From what I could understand, the automatic sensor was not functioning and the water fell below the intake and therefore we lost water pressure. I was a little concerned about the cistern being in the carport - I'm thinking leaking oil and crap from our cars, but then I notice it has a plastic shield that fits below the steel manhole cover thing.

The guy goes to some other little box outside and turns something then he starts clanging the metal stick he used to get the cover off down in the cistern on the pipe. It starts filling up, but now the pump has to be reprimed and started.

They open this little metal storage box and start working on the pump. They need to rinse off part of the pump so one of the guys turns on our outside faucet. He lets it run for a minute while checking on the pump. I'm watching from the step when I realize that the water running down the dirty driveway is headed to the uncovered cistern. I shout at the guys that I don't think that water is supposed to get in there and they both start yelling at each other (I don't understand what they're saying) and one turns off the faucet and watches the water as it comes periously close to flowing in. The flood ebbs and the nasty water misses the cistern by about an inch. The cover is raised a bit, so the ledge helped keep the water out. What would have happened if I hadn't been out there? I'm sure we'd be sick and not know how.

I told Kel that we will not be drinking the tap water anymore. Bottled water here is so cheap anyway.