Posted By Lorraine Shuker We are an office building with approx 250 people. We have just been informed by the water board that water may be shut off for a period of 4 hours next Tues. Obviously there will be no flushing toilets during this time. Local pub and nearby businesses are affected too so we can't use theirs. What would you advise?

Posted By steve e ashton Lorraine, you write '...Obviously there will be no flushing toilets at this time'... Are you sure? very many buildings have water tanks in the roof / loft area - when the supply is turned off, there is often sufficient tanked water to 'keep you going' for a while. Suggest you check the actual layout for the building? A couple of bottles of water from the local supermarket may be all you need to consider....? Steve

Posted By Lorraine Shuker Sorry to pour cold water on your ideas (haha) but there are apparantly no storage tanks and only little handbasins so hard to fill buckets from them and I would be worried about water spillages and slippery floors if we had to move buckets of water too far. Keep the ideas coming though Thank you

Posted By Stuart Nagle You could always give all the staff the option of a half day off! Otherwise it seems you will just have to make the best of it. Water bowsers seems a bit OTT, how are going to get them upstairs in the offices - they weigh quite bit when full and lifts may not be suitable. Water bottles and buckets are an alternative, but spills, as you say, and the inconvenience may be a problem for some... and it could get quite unpleasant in some areas!! No water storage tanks? unusual for an office block to not have any cold water storage tanks and be fed from a rising main only, are you sure about this? Portaloos in the car park may be a sensible alternative, but costly, but then if you want everyone in, and not off, it could be the answer.... Unfortunately, or fortunately, whichever your opinion, my expereince with water companies shutting off supplies is either that: 1) the four hours is a gross overestimate and the work will be done in one to two hours, or 2) a gross underestimate and the work will last 1 day, run into overtime all night and not be completed until mid-day of the following day, or longer... It's all a bit of gamble eh!! Have you asked the water board what exactly it is they are doing, and made your own estimate of how long it may/may not take? Well, one last thing you should order....Lots of tins of air freshener.... Good luck... Stuart

Posted By Lorraine Shuker Thanks for your advise everyone. I have contacted the water board and they were (not suprisingly) useless. We don't want to delay the work as it is holding up some other work we need doing. We have made arrangements with the local pub to allow us to use their facilities so just have to hope that work will not take long.