This Week in the Mercury
Sunday, November 29, 2009
News Serious Shit in Portland's Water.
Posted by Sarah Mirk on Sun, Nov 29, 2009 at 1:07 AM
Portland's normally tasty tap water is looking...eh... let's put it as "much less delectable" for Westsiders this weekend. According to the Portland Water Bureau website, routine tests of a Washington Park open reservoir turned up "fecal coliforms" including E. coli.
From the Water Bureau:
Microbes in these waters can cause short-term effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some of the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems.
The water of Portland Water Bureau customers west of the Willamette and in Burlington, Palatine Hill, and Valley View Water Districts could be contaminated.
What should customers with this possibly E. coli laced water do? From the Water Bureau (all caps theirs): DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST OR USE BOTTLE WATER.
The reservoir has been taken offline and they hope to have the issue "resolved" within 24 hours. No one is reporting any illnesses from the E. coli yet, but it is one in the morning. More updates on this as they come. In the meantime, two questions:
1. Who shit in Portland's water?
2. If Randy Leonard's armed reservoir guards were patrolling Washington Park, would the shitters have been shot?
Thanks to the tip from Ben.
- uh... except for this weekend.
Update 1 PM:
The Water Bureau still has no reports of E. coli sickening anyone in the county, though the illness can take several days to show up in symptoms. Hotels and cafes on the west side have responded quickly to the alert. Hotels last night distributed letters warning of their guests of E. coli and lots of cafes and small restaurants (including the west side Stumptown) are shuttered this morning, with notices about the E. coli above their "closed" signs.
At the Pearl District Whole Foods, the produce and seafood counters were completely empty. The produce had been washed with now-contaminated water and the seafood had sat on contaminated ice, so both were tossed.
The other shelf that was bare: normal bottled water. Westsiders are now reduced to drinking SmartWater.
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Way to jump on this story about 8 hours late! Matt is sure running a fine news dept.
Great. So instead of just having water treatment facilities like civilized people, we continue to erode the state's monopoly on violence.
Not to mention that this is all because we the people can't figure out how to take care of the homeless. Seriously, did we not expect shit to wash into that reservoir with all the homeless camping out in Washington Park?
This country is fucked.
Where the hell is Randi Leotart? Has anyone asked that question? He did it.
If they've taken the reservoir offline, then (after a tap-running time to clear the pipes) why can't I drink the water that must be coming from another, fecal-free reservoir? It seems like if you could just shut down a reservoir and the water would keep coming - from a lovely back-up of some kind that must have been designed for just this purpose - it would have been wise to take the reservoir offline after the first tests on Wednesday. At any rate, why is my water dangerous when the dangerous reservoir is "offline"?
To find the prime suspect poopers, follow the money: bottled water industry execs or whomever opened the newest restaurant on the East Side.
This is the first ever "boil" alert for Portland water. Feel free to move somewhere else, where they know how to pound in the chlorine as "treatment".
This is the first ever "boil alert" for Portland water. Feel free anytime to move somewhere where the "civilized people" live--where they need to pound in the chlorine to make it potable.
I too don't understand what took Matt so long on reporting this this... it was all over Facebook mid-afternoon. That is right, the Mercury only reports on news that they create... you know, kinda like a Hipster version of Fox.
Apparently our water supply is the only thing full of shit.
It smells like they're pumping chlorine in as well. At least, the smell's noticeable coming out of my tap.
Sorry, guys. I made the mistake of trying to take the weekend off. Since I live on the West side, and I've been drinking the water all weekend, this was probably a bad strategy. Having said that I'm feeling very relaxed and...oh, excuse me...I need to shit my pants and throw up, simultaneously...
PPPPPTTTTTT....
Hplerrghhhhhhhhh....
If its an open reservoir, like most around the nation, of course animal and bird crap will get into the water.
Isn't chlorine added at the water treatment plant before it is sent to the customer?
The treatment is at bull run. The rest of the system just lets shit fall/flow in.
i think it's entirely possible i have e. coli....although the symptoms have been remarkably light. It's either that....or just a small stomach flu....have had it on and off since Tuesday. Although i apparently live RIGHT on the edge of the alert area (off canyon road).
expect more of this as our infrastructure catches up to our 3rd world economy.
Leslie and The Badgers
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