I had just got up when I saw the water meter reader lifting the cover on
the pavement to take a reading. I noticed he has a spray bottle of
something and assumed it was to clean the window of the meter.

Later I saw him going up the other side of the road and he was lifting
every cover and giving a squirt from the bottle even if he wasn't taking a
reading.

What could it be? I could only think maybe ant killer.

In message 2,
DerbyBorn writes
I had just got up when I saw the water meter reader lifting the cover on
the pavement to take a reading. I noticed he has a spray bottle of
something and assumed it was to clean the window of the meter.

Later I saw him going up the other side of the road and he was lifting
every cover and giving a squirt from the bottle even if he wasn't taking a
reading.

What could it be? I could only think maybe ant killer.

I had a water meter fitted only a couple of years ago, so I'm not
familiar with the problems facing a meter reader. However, I reckon that
ants could certainly be a problem.

Some 30 years ago, we needed the gate valve (under the kitchen sink,
where the water enters the house) replaced, and got a plumber to do it.
Obviously he would have to turn the water off at the outside stopcock,
so I thought I'd better check its condition. It was at the bottom of a
6" square, 2' deep 'mini-mineshaft', and I hadn't looked at it for ages.
I was alarmed to find that the 'mineshaft' was almost full to the brim
with fine sand - which presumably had been transported there by ants. So
I set about removing it.

Using a trowel and a spoon, it was easy at first, but it became
increasing difficult as I got further down - especially as my arm is not
quite 2' long. However, a little-used Hoover Junior vacuum cleaner was
pressed into service, using the sucking tube attachment. Near the bottom
of the mineshaft, the sand became increasingly damp and harder, and
therefore more difficult to suck up. However, I eventually I was able to
expose the stopcock.
--
Ian

in 1494694 20160614 213924 DerbyBorn wrote:
I had just got up when I saw the water meter reader lifting the cover on
the pavement to take a reading. I noticed he has a spray bottle of
something and assumed it was to clean the window of the meter.

Later I saw him going up the other side of the road and he was lifting
every cover and giving a squirt from the bottle even if he wasn't taking a
reading.

What could it be? I could only think maybe ant killer.

Checking for illegal immigrants?

"Ian Jackson" wrote in message
...
In message 2, DerbyBorn
writes
I had just got up when I saw the water meter reader lifting the cover on
the pavement to take a reading. I noticed he has a spray bottle of
something and assumed it was to clean the window of the meter.

Later I saw him going up the other side of the road and he was lifting
every cover and giving a squirt from the bottle even if he wasn't taking a
reading.

What could it be? I could only think maybe ant killer.

I had a water meter fitted only a couple of years ago, so I'm not familiar
with the problems facing a meter reader. However, I reckon that ants could
certainly be a problem.

Some 30 years ago, we needed the gate valve (under the kitchen sink, where
the water enters the house) replaced, and got a plumber to do it.
Obviously he would have to turn the water off at the outside stopcock, so
I thought I'd better check its condition. It was at the bottom of a 6"
square, 2' deep 'mini-mineshaft', and I hadn't looked at it for ages. I
was alarmed to find that the 'mineshaft' was almost full to the brim with
fine sand - which presumably had been transported there by ants.

Unlikely.

So I set about removing it.

Using a trowel and a spoon, it was easy at first, but it became increasing
difficult as I got further down - especially as my arm is not quite 2'
long. However, a little-used Hoover Junior vacuum cleaner was pressed into
service, using the sucking tube attachment. Near the bottom of the
mineshaft, the sand became increasingly damp and harder, and therefore
more difficult to suck up. However, I eventually I was able to expose the
stopcock.

In message , Rod Speed
writes


"Ian Jackson" wrote in message
...



I was alarmed to find that the 'mineshaft' was almost full to the
brim with fine sand - which presumably had been transported there by
ants.

Unlikely.

So how did it get there? It certainly wasn't there when we moved here.
BTW, the soil is essentially heavy clay and flint - but when the ants
make a nest in the lawns, the create a small erupting 'volcano' of fine
sand at the entrance hole.


--
Ian

Ian Jackson wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Ian Jackson wrote

I was alarmed to find that the 'mineshaft' was almost full to the brim
with fine sand - which presumably had been transported there by ants.

Unlikely.

So how did it get there?

Most likely the result of floods etc.

It certainly wasn't there when we moved here. BTW, the soil is essentially
heavy clay and flint - but when the ants make a nest in the lawns, the
create a small erupting 'volcano' of fine sand at the entrance hole.

Sure, but they don't fill holes with sand.

I have a couple of holes like that, one for the lawn sprinkler taps
and one for the solenoid valve that was my kludge that avoided
me doing anything about the leak in the copper plumbing under
the concrete slab and plenty of ants, but neither of those filled
with fine sand.

Ian Jackson wrote:
In message , Rod Speed
writes


"Ian Jackson" wrote in
message ...



I was alarmed to find that the 'mineshaft' was almost full to the
brim with fine sand - which presumably had been transported there
by ants.

Unlikely.

So how did it get there? It certainly wasn't there when we moved here.
BTW, the soil is essentially heavy clay and flint - but when the ants
make a nest in the lawns, the create a small erupting 'volcano' of
fine sand at the entrance hole.


The ants are excavating under paving, where sand is present. Your
meter hole is the nearest convenient dumping ground.

I have sent the question to Severn Trent. I will post the reply if I get
one.

On 15/06/16 08:48, Ian Jackson wrote:
In message 2,
DerbyBorn writes
I had just got up when I saw the water meter reader lifting the cover on
the pavement to take a reading. I noticed he has a spray bottle of
something and assumed it was to clean the window of the meter.

Later I saw him going up the other side of the road and he was lifting
every cover and giving a squirt from the bottle even if he wasn't taking a
reading.

What could it be? I could only think maybe ant killer.

I had a water meter fitted only a couple of years ago, so I'm not
familiar with the problems facing a meter reader. However, I reckon that
ants could certainly be a problem.

Some 30 years ago, we needed the gate valve (under the kitchen sink,
where the water enters the house) replaced, and got a plumber to do it.
Obviously he would have to turn the water off at the outside stopcock,
so I thought I'd better check its condition. It was at the bottom of a
6" square, 2' deep 'mini-mineshaft', and I hadn't looked at it for ages.
I was alarmed to find that the 'mineshaft' was almost full to the brim
with fine sand - which presumably had been transported there by ants. So
I set about removing it.

Using a trowel and a spoon, it was easy at first, but it became
increasing difficult as I got further down - especially as my arm is not
quite 2' long. However, a little-used Hoover Junior vacuum cleaner was
pressed into service, using the sucking tube attachment. Near the bottom
of the mineshaft, the sand became increasingly damp and harder, and
therefore more difficult to suck up. However, I eventually I was able to
expose the stopcock.

That's an interesting point. I've long considered the "pavement"
stopcock an important backup for the house stopcock, and also important
for leaks between the pavement and the house, as you'll probably be
paying for any water lost through those.

In case access to the stopcock is needed in an emergency, maybe an
extension made from a round piece of plastic, fitting over the stopcock
and ending just below the cover plate could be left in place if ants
keep replacing the sand.

--

Jeff

DerbyBorn wrote in
.222:



I have sent the question to Severn Trent. I will post the reply if I get
one.





I had a reply - it was ant killer - to prevent them importing sand and soil
from under the pavements.

In message 2,
DerbyBorn writes
DerbyBorn wrote in
2.222:



I have sent the question to Severn Trent. I will post the reply if I get
one.





I had a reply - it was ant killer - to prevent them importing sand and soil
from under the pavements.

Which was absolutely exactly my problem with the stopcock.
--
Ian