I recently had some indications of power surges in my home and called the electric company. The technician they sent out said that the ground had settled and did some work on the box in my front yard (our power lines are underground) and to the ground wires on the exterior of my home. After he left, I noticed that he'd connected the ground wire to the water spout (the one that we attach our garden hoses to). When my husband used the hose this weekend, he said he felt a little shock. Is this connection safe? Should we have the power company back out?

This needs to be checked asap. The grounding does not seem to done properly. No shock should be felt at all from the water line.

Utility company workers do not usually do any grounding, may be differnet with you utility.

Contact the utility and let them know what is occurring and get them out there right away to correct the problem. Ask them if they are qualified to do this type of work, or should a licensed electrician be invloved.