Home & Garden Water Shortage Valencia

Anyone know why we're only getting water for about an hour or less per day ?

 

I'm in North Poblacion , the water is flowing slowly at the moment.
There's often an odour which I put down to drains not getting sufficient water to flush through.

 

Our water has now stopped flowing altogether . Again we have to ablute using the spare tank which can only be replenished when the main water supply returns.

 

I've never been to Afghanistan and I don't live in a compound. However, it sounds/smells quite similar. But I believe this to be widespread as I suffer water shortages down at Zak's Place.

 

I live in Jawa Valencia and we have had water outages every sense we retired here, (10+ years). We started out with those 5 gal. water jugs, that was ok as long as the water outage was not any longer than a day. Then there was the big flood and the water outage was several weeks long. I bought a 200 gal stainless tank and plumed it into the system. Worked fine until the next year when we got the second and bigger flood.
At this point I was sure that Valencia Water Department was not a reliable water source. Started looking for a driller and soon realized that a well was way to expensive for my bank account. Went and got another tank, 500 gal. this time and a pump with a pressure tank to push the water to the house.
Now here is my water system: I can operate straight from the city to the house or the city to either of the two tanks and then to the house. The 500 has to have the pump and elect, we have a 5 kw. stand by gen-set. We can gravity feed the house from the 200 tank.
Here is how it is suppose to work: From the meter through a tee one going to the out side faucets unfiltered. The other to the rest of the system. Going to the house side it goes through a 5 micron filter. A utility sink in the shop, then feeds both tanks. From either of the tanks through a 1 micron filter to the house. We also catch the water off the roof and then pumped into the 500 through a 1 micron.
Now if we use all the storage and get down to the last 200 gallons. I load the four 55 gallons down spout drums with the 4 large plastic trash cans in the truck. Drive up the mountain to a clean looking stream pump them full. Back at the house I pump them into the system through a 1 micron filter into the 500 gal. tank. Three trips will fill the system. Good for about 6 to 10 days depending on how good we are at conserving the water.
I no longer worry about Valencia's water delivery of non potable water. We buy all our potable water no matter what we have in storage.

 

I have been in Valencia often, in fact, did some research on the system. As I've said before and often to people, OVER 30% OF WATER IS LOST TO LEAKING HOSE. IF EVERY LEAKING TAPE-WRAPPED JOINT IN THE MUNICIPALITY WERE REPLACED WITH A PROPER FITTING, THERE WOULD NEVER BE A WATER SHORTAGE. (capitals and large letters seriously intended)...

 

Yes and most of those leaking Hoses are after the Meter, Go Figure ( said quietly )