There is no clean, potable water in Boston right now.
Sucks, right? I mean, I can’t brush my teeth, cook anything of consequence, or drink anything other than beer.
Wait, this is AWESOME.
Word broke out (Ha!) about the water main break at around 5pm yesterday evening. By 5:30, roommate Sara and I were at the Beacon Hill Tavern, doing our best to stay hydrated with IPAs and Woodchuck ciders. Yes, I drink Woodchuck cider. Want to fight about it?
We chatted about life, our non-dynamic waiter (Nick? Steve? Peter?), our living situation (may it continue for another year), and the absolutely gorgeous weather we found ourselves sitting in, at our corner table on the sidewalk. The spinach dip was delightful, and we even managed to trade up for a waitress with a personality. Sure, the truck blaring out boil-your-water messages Nightmare Before Christmas-style was kind of creepy; but overall, life without water was kicking ass.
It really wasn’t until today that I began noticing that, hey, the clear liquid might be hiding something.
I tried to cook some chicken to put on a salad. No, can’t cook, because it leaves a mess, and there is no clean water for dishes. Oh, I’m thirsty, but to put more water in the brita, someone has to boil the water first (Thanks Sara!). Brushing teeth? Major pain in the ass. I did my laundry this afternoon. Should I have?
The moral of the story: Most likely, the people of Boston are fine. Doing your dishes with this “un-treated lake water” probably isn’t the best of ideas, but it’s probably not going to kill you, or even make you sick. Take it from someone who’s been drinking well-water run through a single filter for most of his life; not having UV-treated, chemically-balanced water isn’t the end of the world, it just gives you an excuse to get drunk.
