A long, long wait finally over

Twelve years and one month after moving into our house, we are finally connected to the town drains. Below: I came home last night to find the septic tank with its top off and the outflow pipe from the house connected to the sewer pipe (installed in October) that runs through our estate.

Below: this morning, at 7am the men were busy filling in the septic tank with earth and packing it down with a pneumatic hammer.

I got home from work this evening to find the job (on our house at least) done. Completely and totally. Paving stones neatly So finally, freedom from that septic tank anxiety that mounts as the fortnight wears on - will it spill over before Pan Norbert* turns up to empty it? All that remains to do now is to fit a separate meter for the outdoor taps, to ensure that we're not charged sewerage fees on water that's used in the garden.

It was a great feeling to flush the loo knowing that the wastewater is heading for a water treatment plant via a network of pipes and sewers, rather than being held in a ten-cubic metre tank awaiting a ten-tonne truck to clog up the roads getting to and from our house.

There are EU funds available for filling septic tanks, but the procedure is long and there's no guarantee your application will be successful. Better, then, to bite the bullet, pay for the work, get it done quickly and save on those 230 złoty (£46) septic tank-emptying fees - that's over £90 a month. A big thanks to our neighbour Tomek, who expedited the whole process.

At last, I feel civilised - civilised that is in the sense of being part of the city, the city we pay our taxes in, civilised as in belonging to a city. Now all that's needed is that pavement along ul. Karczunkowska...

* Pan Norbert - not cheap, but very reliable, and always willing to help out in crisis situations.

This time last year:
No more revelations

This time three years ago:
Free will vs. destiny