Eleven years ago Mark Douglas defended his Duffy home against the bushfires that destroyed many of the houses in his street.
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So when ACTEW Water advised him they would be turning his water off all day on Thursday, he was concerned.
The 73-year-old lives on Eucumbene Drive, one of the first streets to be hit by the 2003 bushfires which killed four people and destroyed more than 500 Canberra homes.
He said a handful of his neighbours from that traumatic time were still living on the street and many other fire survivors remained in the area.
"The survivors would feel this was an unusual thing to do, particularly in the highest part of the fire season, almost to the day of when the fires hit us," he said.
Mr Douglas said he and his wife, Leith, cooled their home using an evaporative system which did not work without water and had planned to go out on Thursday to escape the heat.
But he was concerned about the pine and gum trees growing opposite his street and said that while fires were unlikely, he had planned to not venture too far from home just in case he had to defend it again.
Mr Douglas said when he called ACTEW Water at about 12.30pm on Wednesday he was asked to send the company an email or leave a message, but he stood his ground and was eventually able to speak to a customer service representative.
He said the representative told him he had been given adequate notice and his water would be turned off.
But the company had a last-minute change of heart after further inquires were made on Wednesday afternoon. A spokeswoman told The Canberra Times the works would be delayed due to the expected extreme heat conditions.
The spokeswoman said the work would have affected 23 households and was essential to connect sections of the new suburb of Coombs and would be rescheduled when conditions would be more favourable.
"Residents are being notified of the changed arrangements and will be advised when a new date has been scheduled for this essential works to be carried out," she said.
Mr Douglas said ACTEW Water should reconsider turning off a Canberra suburb's water during the hottest part of the year.
"They don't seem to take into account the realities of a situation in the forward planning," he said.