Advice Needed

[Ricky65]

 

Hi, I really need some advice, I had concerns regarding my new neighbors conversion of the property into flats two years ago regarding safety, ignored by my local council.

 

To get to the point, my main concern was any major electrical work has to be inspected and certified as it's a semi detached house?.

 

I have had three attempted burglaries in the last year, one just last night were I actually encountered the intruder. Today my neighbors was raided by the police, four cars, vans, major incident. 

 

It has turned out that the house was turned into a cannibis factory, every room, loft etc.

 

They had bypassed the mains electricity supply to hide there electricity usage, you can imagine the fired hazard I have lived with these last two years.

 

But this is my concern, it seems they could have connected and used the water tank in the loft to use as a watering system or maybe even tempered with the water pipping that is shared with my house.

 

I reported to my local water authority that my water started to taste bad, literally you would have to spit it out. They promised to come and check my water quality but never did.

 

Can someone advise me, these people are obviously bad people, do you think that they have been using fertilizer or chemicals to grow there drugs. If the loft water tank was used or other water pipes as a watering system could any contamination get into my water supply as it's connected as most old semi detached houses are.

 

I ask because of my ongoing I'll health and the water quality since they moved in next door, I'm so sorry for the long post but I just can't find any information if this could be possible, thank you.

 

 

Edited October 23, 2022 by Ricky65

[Triassic]

@Ricky65       The only answer is chemical analyses of the drinking water.

 

I'd call the Local Water Company today, tell them about the Police raid and your health issue, and how this is as a result of the actions of the criminals involved. Inform the Water Company,  the flats water system has been tampered with, and you have tainted water issues, and possible cross contamination from illegal chemicals being used in the production of  cannabis.

 

If they do nothing, contact the Drinking water inspectorate,  link here https://www.gov.uk/check-drinking-water-quality

 

 

Edited October 23, 2022 by Triassic
typo

[MikeSharp01]

Crumbs - that sounds awful. Usually the two dwellings, yours and theirs, have separate water and electric systems but this does not sound to be the case. You probably need to get it checked by your water and electricity suppliers. 

[Ricky65]

Thank you so much for your replies, I will contact them tomorrow and insist they check everything.  Been drinking bottle water for some time now since the water started tasting bad, always filtered my tap water to.

 

Yeah it's been very scary and full of drama, apparently the intruder who tried breaking into my home may have been a rival gang member, but we don't know for sure, my explain previous break in attempts.

 

I hope that my water supply runs underground from there stop cock which turns my water off to, but they may have tried bypassing a water meter or something.

 

Edited October 23, 2022 by Ricky65

[Ricky65]

Thanks again for the link to.

[dpmiller]

you're not drinking water from your tank are you?

[Triassic]

17 minutes ago, dpmiller said:

you're not drinking water from your tank are you?

This is why he needs the Water company  to take samples. If the cold tap  is plumbed via the head tank, the available chlorine results at analysis would be lower than tap water from the main. It’s a quick and easy test.. 

 

The OP suggested an automatic irrigation system was installed in the cannabis  farm.  I bet there was no non-return valve fitted, hence cross contamination can not be ruled out, particularly given the reference to poor taste of the water.

[Ricky65]

Sorry for delay, I only use to drink from the tap when I run out of bottled water.

 

I have no Idea how the plumbing works, original house 1955, had open fire heating hot water in tank in bedroom cupboard, electrically controlled.

 

Then two gas fires fitted, water then heated totally by electric. Then combi boiler installed for heating and hot water.

 

So just not sure how things are run so to speak, it's just when my stop cock would seize we had to rely on previous neighbors to turn off my water.

 

I was hoping it just runs underground from that stop cock but as you mentioned and from what I read, it could some how back up kinda thing and get into your water supply.

 

Edited October 24, 2022 by Ricky65

[Triassic]

Let us know what the water company say and do. We might be able to suggest the next course of action, if needed.

[Ricky65]

I have been speaking with them this morning, explained everything, they said there water quality team will ring me back today.

 

They sounded sincere so hopefully someone will come out and check my water first and then hopefully check what they have done next door.

 

Water Quality, well the equivalent, can't remember exactly what term they used, thanks again for your replies.

[Carrerahill]

2 hours ago, Ricky65 said:

Sorry for delay, I only use to drink from the tap when I run out of bottled water.

 

I have no Idea how the plumbing works, original house 1955, had open fire heating hot water in tank in bedroom cupboard, electrically controlled.

 

Then two gas fires fitted, water then heated totally by electric. Then combi boiler installed for heating and hot water.

 

So just not sure how things are run so to speak, it's just when my stop cock would seize we had to rely on previous neighbors to turn off my water.

 

I was hoping it just runs underground from that stop cock but as you mentioned and from what I read, it could some how back up kinda thing and get into your water supply.

 

The thing is, you should not be drinking tank water anyway, your kitchen tap, at least, should be on the rising main, i.e. fresh mains water. 

 

 

[Ricky65]

I have been speaking with them this morning, explained everything, they said there water quality team will ring me back today.

 

They sounded sincere so hopefully someone will come out and check my water first and then hopefully check what they have done next door.

 

Water Quality, well the equivalent, can't remember exactly what term they used, thanks again for your replies.

 

8 minutes ago, Carrerahill said:

The thing is, you should not be drinking tank water anyway, your kitchen tap, at least, should be on the rising main, i.e. fresh mains water. 

 

 

That's what I thought, but I just needed to be sure, the reason is, if I poured a filtered glass of tap water to drink at night, if I tried to drink it in the morning I had to spit it out, it tasted so stale and bad, I mean year old stale.

 

But hopefully they haven't tempered with it near the stop cock and my main tap pipe is uneffected, thanks.

[Triassic]

4 hours ago, Ricky65 said:

That's what I thought, but I just needed to be sure, the reason is, if I poured a filtered glass of tap water to drink at night, if I tried to drink it in the morning I had to spit it out, it tasted so stale and bad, I mean year old stale.

 

But hopefully they haven't tempered with it near the stop cock and my main tap pipe is uneffected, thanks.

Water analysis should confirm the source of your water and its quality. Make sure they sample and test the water in a laboratory.

[SteamyTea]

You can usually tell if water if from a loft tank or the mains.

If you can stop the water coming out the tap with your thumb over the spout, it is from the loft.

If you can't, and you get wet trying, it is probably from the mains.

Edited October 24, 2022 by SteamyTea

[ProDave]

9 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

You can usually tell if water if from a loft tank or the mains.

If you can stop the water coming out the tap with your thumb over the spout, it is from the loft.

If you can't, and you get wet trying, it is probably from the mains.

Turn off the stopcock and if the tap still flows, it can't be mains, it must be from the tap.

 

Or simpler, do you hear the header tank refilling after you have run the tap?  If so it is coming from the tank.

[Ricky65]

I have been speaking with them this morning, explained everything, they said there water quality team will ring me back today.

 

They sounded sincere so hopefully someone will come out and check my water first and then hopefully check what they have done next door.

 

Water Quality, well the equivalent, can't remember exactly what term they used, thanks again for your replies.

 

6 hours ago, Carrerahill said:

The thing is, you should not be drinking tank water anyway, your kitchen tap, at least, should be on the rising main, i.e. fresh mains water. 

 

 

That's what I thought, but I just needed to be sure, the reason is, if I poured a filtered glass of tap water to drink at night, if I tried to drink it in the morning I had to spit it out, it tasted so stale and bad, I mean year old stale.

 

But hopefully they haven't tempered with it near the stop cock and my main tap pipe is uneffected, thanks.

 

41 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

You can usually tell if water if from a loft tank or the mains.

If you can stop the water coming out the tap with your thumb over the spout, it is from the loft.

If you can't, and you get wet trying, it is probably from the mains.

 

Well I got wet so it seems it's mains, the water pressure in my house has been insanely high since my previous neighbors house conversion, extension, he was a compulsive diy'er, never known a time when he wasn't converting or building something new.

 

Finally got a call back from water authority, they didn't seem interested in next door dispite my concerns and seemed more interested and insistent that the water quality was due to factors in my house.

 

These included new piping, rubber seals reacting with the clorine etc, even my washing machine, but they finally agreed to try and check my neighbors.

 

So finally I got through to them that all I wanted was my water checked, and that everything nextdoor was as it should be, even if they could just check the stop cock next door which is outdoors.

 

I still don't know about the electric situation, if it was bypassed is it now turn off and safe.

 

I just get told the same thing, contact your local council but they don't want to know. 

 

As the property was at the time permitted to be converted into bedsit by the council it then should come under certain health and safety laws as it's become a boarding house, guest house etc, especially any electrical work, it has to be checked and certified.

 

So thank you all for your kind help, I don't want to bother you anymore but will update you when I know more.

 

 

 

 

 

[Ricky65]

1 hour ago, ProDave said:

Turn off the stopcock and if the tap still flows, it can't be mains, it must be from the tap.

 

Or simpler, do you hear the header tank refilling after you have run the tap?  If so it is coming from the tank.

The stop cock next door and mine turn of the tap water.

[martamartizi]

Your story is like the plot of some second-rate crime movie character.

 

Actually, what would have bothered me was the other fact that I had been living next to the Nacrolab all this time and didn't even know about it. Imagine how many places like that are near us.