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Water everywhere but not a drop to drink

water Pictures, Images and Photos

Yesterday we were finishing lunch when our neighbor rang the bell. His basement was flooding. Something was wrong and they needed to turn the main line of water off (we live in a row house). It was Sunday and they wouldn’t be able to get it fixed until Monday afternoon. So we rushed to fill jars and bottles with water, started the dishwasher and filled the bathtub with water. Unfortunately the water was dirty. It turns out the neighbors pond had contaminated the water supply. So I had enough water to flush the toilets, but that’s it. The dishes only got half rinsed. We had no water for coffee, and I couldn’t even wash the dirty table because the water was dirty. I had to be home this morning to let the workers in and out of our house. My kitchen stank, and so did I (no shower). They finally turned the water on at 4:30 this afternoon. I did the stinky dishes, and cleaned up the dinning room and kitchen. Then I took a bath. I’m going to water my plants with contaminated water I have in bottles, and I’ll put in a supply of clean water. I even saved my bath water for the toilets. They said it may take them a few days to fix the problem. I feel sorry for my neighbor, because they have a flooded basement to clean up. I also have a new respect for all those people who walk miles every day for water. I was so unprepared to go without water. I never realized how much I rely on my ever present clean source of life!

Comments

Clean water is quickly becoming the most probable issue of dwindling resources in the world. Conflict over water rights is not new. It has been an issue in the American west ever since well before it was the frontier, but also in the desert areas of Africa, Asia and Africa. Clean water or the lack thereof, was one of the primary causes of plague in midevil Europe. Having clean water that we take for granted is, I fear, only a momentary luxery.
Shelldell said…
We deal with a backed up septic tank once a year and are inconvenienced for a day in November.
We test our water yearly because we have a well.
Water is a luxury and needed for life.
In Oregon you now can get 5 cents for you empty bottle of water.
People buy bottled water like it's going out of style at Winco in the summer.
At a movie theater you will pay $3.50 for a large bottle water.
We live in a state that is known for being wet, each year it doesn't seem as rainy as the year before.
I've been cleaning out boxes that were ruined by the rain that were in our old boat tent, very smelly. The stuff just had to be thrown out. It made me think of the floods in the south and what they had to deal with. What a mess and smell.
Nate is raising money for poor countries for water purifiers the children have raised a lot of money so far at the camp to help these countries out.

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