Rikki’s Refuge needs a plumber who knows how to work on well equipment

Being in the middle of 367 acres, Rikki's Refuge obviously does not use city water. We have a well. A big hole in the ground from which an unlimited supply of water pours forth. Usually everything runs smoothly and there are no problems. Turn on a faucet and water appears. But now we have a big problem.

Late yesterday evening I went to wash my hands, . . . nothing. Not even a drip. I went to investigate and discovered that the pressure switch has been disassembled. Now I don't know a whole lot about this, but there's the well pump, lines that go down the well, the jet pump at the bottom of the well, and the pressure tank.

About a month ago we had to replace the pressure tank because it was leaking. That was the last piece in the well house that was still there when we came to Rikki’s. Over the years we had replaced all the rest. Well obviously, someone had decided something was going on yesterday afternoon, disassembled parts, and just left it there. So if you know how to work on well equipment, please, please, please come out and help us today.

Nobody's going to die from lack of water. We keep a two-day supply of water on hand. That's why I ask you to give me all your leftover 2 1/2 gallon jugs from clumping cat litter. Each one holds 2 1/2 gallons of water! So it will only take 160 of those to fill water up for all the animals today! And we keep over 300 on hand. And when we run out, it means loading them up in the truck, driving down the road, and filling up at Rags and Relics or the Retreat. A lot more hot work for the humans, but the animals will still have plenty of cool water to drink.

The animals at Rikki's Refuge drink 400 gallons of water a day! That averages out to only about half a gallon each. But some take more than their fair share, like the cows, who slurp up 10 gallons in a sitting. But others make up for it. There's not a guinea pig on the planet that could even hold half a gallon! Share and share alike, it all works out in the end.