Because I love that dirty water
Oh, oh, Boston, you’re my home (oh, yeah)
As soon as I heard there was a boil water order in effect I thought of the Dave Mathew’s Song “Don’t Drink the Water” but then I thought of the Dropkick Murphy’s cover of the song “Dirty Water.” That seemed so much more appropriate since Dropkick Murphy’s is a Boston band singing about Boston.
On my way home from CKC Manchester on Saturday my friend called her hubs to let her know when we would be back. Hearing half the conversation of “we can’t use the water!?” seemed puzzling to me. Instantly, I think about a drought. How the hell could there be a drought when it rained so much that our apartment flooded last month?
I found out the a 10′ water main ‘broke’. News flash… don’t drink the water!!! 30 communities are effected with this ‘boil water order’. So 2 million people or so in the metro Boston area have been effected. Since the system is down they are now supplementing with reservoir water. This means that water needs to be boiled for at least a min before it can be used; otherwise you run the risk of getting a bacterial infection or a parasite. You need to use bottled water or boiled water for drinking, brushing teeth, washing dishes, etc. ‘Luckily’ you can still use the water to shower.
I have walked around the reservoir that they have hooked up to and the only thing I could think of while showering yesterday was ‘BIRD POOP WATER!’ When I had my dog up in Boston a few years ago I used to walk her around the reservoir and she would run to the edge and bark at the swans. So call I could think of was bathing in swan poo water. Last month I was showering with sump pump hoses in the tub and now I showered with ‘lake’ water!!!
So when you can’t use water normally you rush out to the store since the first reports say that things might not be fixed for more than a week. Well, let me tell you, the store was chaotic on Saturday afternoon. I got some of the last water at the store down the road. At first the Governor declared a State of Emergency to get things in order, including water distribution centers in towns going. President Obama declared a State of Emergency this afternoon, which will help cover the costs associated with the water crisis.
Water flowed from the leak at 8 million gallons of water an hour. It flowed down some hill into the Charles River, which rose 8″ in some spots. Crazy! Well, once they got the water turned off they figured out that some rubber seam under a collar that was supposed to last 50 years failed at 7 years. So they fixed the leak and are testing pressure and water quality. They estimate water to be back to normal within 48 hours.
Just when I think Boston is boring…
(all photos, with the exception of the store photo, are from Boston.com)