Who could have imagined all the implications when a community of 150,000 is suddenly informed that their tapwater is contaminated?
I am fine. I just quickly went out and bought a goodly supply for me and the three dogs. Those who should avoid drinking the tapwater are the elderly, pets, children, and pregnant and nursing mothers. That all stands to reason. Then think about nursing homes, the big state prison, and government buildings in this state capital trying to function.
Later, the supplies in local stores ran out. Costco was delivering pallets from other stores and the lines there to stock up were very, very long.
Beyond that, hospitals are postponing surgeries. Restaurants and coffee shops are closed. Dentists offices closed. Produce department at Freddy’s closed. Drinking fountains at schools off limits.
We have been given no indication as to when an alternate source will become available. Boiling and filtering won’t fix it.
Normally, our pristine water flows down the beautiful Little North Santiam to us.
But before it gets to us, it passes through a man-made reservoir, Detroit Lake, a major recreational area a couple of hours upstream from Salem.
Detroit Lake recently became contaminated with a blue-green algae bloom and some of this has managed to get downstream to us in unacceptable levels.
I have a giant box of granola bars with a shelf life of 100 years stashed away and a 50 lb. bag of dog food for emergencies. I have two oil lamps and four flashlights and a solar-powered radio. I never thought of hoarding water, what with a 50 gallon water heater and three toilet tanks. Guess I will now.
