This Week in the Mercury

Film Shorts

Film

Film Shorts

In Which We Hit It and Quit It


Geek Out

Film

Geek Out

Wonderfully Horrific



  |  

Monday, November 30, 2009

News Source of Portland's E. coli Still Unknown

Posted by Sarah Mirk on Mon, Nov 30, 2009 at 11:28 AM

Just a couple more quick thoughts from yesterday's press conference declaring our water E. coli free after the weekend scare.

Though we know that E. coli spreads through feces ("shit"), county health and Water Bureau officials still aren't sure what brought the E. coli to the Washington Park reservoir. It could have come from a bird flying over, a deer or a hiker. "We’ll leave it to your imagination for how that could get in there," said health officer Gary Oxman.

A reporter at last night's press conference asked Randy Leonard and Mayor Adams directly: Is it time to cover our reservoirs? They weren't game for the idea, noting that we're on track to build new reservoirs (like one at Powell Butte) to replace the open ones. In the meantime, says Leonard, “We have the best drinking water in the world and the best safeguards to protect our drinking water.”

Mt. Tabor Reservoir: For drinking, not swimming or shitting.
  • Portland Online
  • Mt. Tabor Reservoir: For drinking, not swimming or shitting.

Usually the Water Bureau's safeguards work. Remember last summer when the Water Bureau publicly humiliated two skinny dippers who snuck into the Mt. Tabor reservoir?

But though this weekend saw the first ever "boil alert" for Portland water, it marked the 14th time the water has tested positive for E. coli traces throughout our history. Is it dangerous to keep the reservoirs open?

The E. coli that launched the alert was a minute amount, just 24 organisms per 100 milliliters. Beaches in Toronto and Missouri, by contrast, only issue "no swim" warnings when the E. coli levels get about 100 to 126 organisms per milliliter.

 

Comments (2) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment
1
Wait, you think the SWIMMERS got a raw deal?!

They should have thought of that before they went to great lengths to put their filthy nethers in my drinking water.

Idiots.
Posted by Commenty Colin on November 30, 2009 at 12:23 PM · Report
2
One interesting note is that after boiling my water yesterday afternoon, I discovered that the water tasted different, which led me to search to why, and it turns out there are fewer oxygen molecules in boiled water (a duh if you think about it,) and therefore changes the taste. Fun stuff!
Posted by NIG GER on November 30, 2009 at 12:44 PM · Report

Add a comment

Our Friends

Our Enemies

/images/adoftheweek.gif

ad of the day

The Handyman Pro - Your Honey-Do Specialist
Don’t let our name fool you. The Handyman Pro, LLC is a repair and remodel service provider with over 25-years experience. We cover all aspects of construction and repairs for residential and commercial clients.go


post an ad

All contents © Index Newspapers, LLC

115 SW Ash St. Suite 600
Portland, OR 97204

Contact Info | Privacy Policy | Production Guidelines | Terms of Use