BOILING WATER THAT IS CONTAMINATED BY MAIN BREAK

Two days ago, I was returning from an afternoon out, during  which I received no news about the water problem to be faced on arrival home.  I stopped at Costco, amused at the silly people paying so much for multiple cases of bottled water.  By the time I heard that I would have to boil water for an indeterminate period of time, water had become as scarce as in the Sahara,.  I think back to having had to memorize Coleridge's "Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink."  Referenced here

Trying to remember simple things, like a small amount of boiled water to dip  my toothbrush, then a small amount of water in a separate cup to rinse the brush takes thought.  Rinsing off my hands then applying sanitizer is not the usual rote step.  I realized the intrusion into my day, having to actually THINK about these tasks invading my head , stopped the normal flow of planning I usually do during simple tasks.

As with so many things, I take for granted having potable water by turning on the tap.  It was an unappreciated luxury until I lost it and realized my loss.  First I noted how much of my day is spent in rote actions.  The urge to turn on the tap to rinse my hands is probably the most difficult to ignore.  I can still do that, as long as I spray a hand sanitizer on them after MWRA water has touched my skin...which only makes me want to wash again to get the sanitizer off.

A coupler on the ten foot pipe, the viaduct carrying water to more than two dozen towns from the Quabbin reservoir, expected to last 50 years, broke after only 7 years.  More than 256,000,000 gallons. or some such staggering number, were spilled into the Charles River ( fortuitously saving lots of basements) before the flow could be stopped.  Business may be more frustrated than I, but we each feel our own pain most acutely.

Turning on the news I heard and saw that a flash flood had occurred in Nashville, Tennessee , killing 23 people.  The impossible to pronounce volcano in Iceland is active again and grounding planes in the UK anew.  There are more tornadoes in Oklahoma, and  the oil slick is already breaching the safety and lives of endangered species of birds and animals, as well as livelihoods near the Gulf of Mexico,. Sometimes it takes an 'upside-the-head' for me to realize just how good I have it.  At least the tap is still there and I even know how to boil water!