Once a year we get our aljibe (a 5000 liter water storage tank necessary because of an inconsistent water supply from our local utility company, Simapa) cleaned. For some reason I do not understand, water arrives dirty and sediment builds up and makes annual cleaning necessary. Last year Pat was uncomfortable with the use of a small boy who climbed down into our aljibe to do the cleaning. We decided to try another service provider, one who had a good reputation on local facebook groups.
I asked the service provider to shut the main valve so that we could draw down the water, which they did. Otherwise, the whole tank of water would be pumped onto the street, the normal drainage method in Ajijic. The cleaning job was scheduled for a few days later on Saturday morning.
When the crew arrived there was immediately a problem. The service crew brought a boy to enter the aljibe but he was too big. There was piping in the way. The crew chief suggested that it would be better to move the piping off to the side, otherwise this would be a problem every year. But that meant rescheduling the job for the following week. All of this made sense to me and I agreed. The crew left.
Two minutes later we had no water. I phoned both of the numbers I had for the service company. No answer. I texted both numbers. No response. What now?
At first I assumed that the aljibe was empty but I checked and not so. Checking further, I noticed that the gauge on our pressure tank read 0, not good. We had water but no water pressure. I phoned our neighbours to see if they knew anyone that could possibly help us. They did. Later in the day someone named David arrived and he determined that the problem was the impeller, a component of the pump. He knew of someone who could service the pump but not until the next day.
By this time my anxiety levels were high, as were Pat’s. In fact, less than a week later, the sequence of events are no longer clear in my mind but I am describing them as best I can. What is clear is how dependent we are on others for our water supply. A couple of buckets of water from our neighbors enabled us to flush toilets. We had a supply of bottled drinking water.
On Sunday David brought back the pump, now with a new, (reconditioned) impeller which cost $4000 pesos. Ouch. But still no pressure, no water. He determined that there was a pressure tank problem requiring its recalibration. More delay and still no water but ever rising anxiety. By two o’clock on Sunday we again had water.
On the following Wednesday the other service provider returned. He moved the pipes and a boy cleaned the aljibe. He supplied us with 1000 liters of water. But the pump did not work. He determined that the float was not high enough to activate the system. At this time, water was flowing in from its regular source. The service provider told me that we would have water in a couple of hours but to phone him if necessary. I reminded him that my calls were not returned the prior weekend. He gave me his assurance and his personal cell phone number.
Sure enough, two hours later there was lots of water in the aljibe but still the pump was not coming on. I phoned. He came. He took the pump out of the tank and advised me that it was probably a problem with the impeller. No, said I, not possible, that was the problem three days ago and was fixed. He put the pump back in place, fiddled around and, and, and it came on, lots of water pressure, lots of water. Job done. Payment made. See you next year, I said.
This experience is now familiar to us here in Mexico. One problem seems to cascade into another and then another. Somehow we get through it, but I never can just accept it without significant anxiety. But slowly I am getting better, trying not to be anxious about anxiety. And I think my resiliency is improving, bouncing back more quickly.