Safe to drink?

"I got a notice in the mail two days after the boil order was lifted," said a friend to me yesterday, rolling her eyes.  She doesn't spend time on Facebook and had heard about the lifting through friends.

I got emailed the lift notice by the village clerk, and then shared it on Facebook, posted it here, and told everyone I met about it.  I'm glad that the village took the extra step of sending out an email, particularly since some water users didn't know about the health alert for two days.  Not everyone can be reached via email, and I'm at a loss to suggest a way to get the word out about a health crisis that is as comprehensive as the mail, but not as hazardously slow, although I've suggested some low-cost options like the email alert that could at least increase the message saturation.

The boil order was a pain, but it sure made me think about how we use water.  Every time I turned on the tap, or poured from a plastic jug, I pondered how fragile our dependence on water is.  We use it to drink, cook, wash, and flush away our excrement.  Some people say that after the oil wars, the fights will be over water.  It seems abundant here, particularly during a brutal flood season, but this boil order makes me realize that clean, safe water is not guaranteed and should never be taken for granted.

The lack of comments on my posts about our water and sewer problems makes me wonder what this blog's small base of loyal readers thinks about water safety and water usage in New Paltz.  Am I the only person who isn't in government who is concerned about water?