Good Morning, Oppo

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn) 10/22/2018 at 08:55 • Filed to: None

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We woke up this morning to discover that the City of Austin, along with my outlying neighborhood, are under a boil water order until further notice.

It seems that all of the flood waters from two weeks of heavy rain have overwhelmed the system, and they had to lower the water pressure to homes to make sure there is enough pressure for firefighters. This is the first time in the history of the Austin Water Works that they’ve had to issue such a notice. W e didn’t know about it when we woke up, so I had to pitch the pot of coffee that I had made (it’s probably just fine, but whatever). And as I put on a pot of water to boil to make a fresh pot, I paused to think about Flint and what they’ve been going through. And also, how we take clean water for granted.

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DipodomysDeserti > ttyymmnn 10/22/2018 at 09:11

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Parts of Phoenix were put under a boil water advisory a few years ago. That’s when I decided to drop dome coin on a Berkey water filter. Our tap water is pretty shitty even when the treatment pl ants are working.

TheRealBicycleBuck > ttyymmnn 10/22/2018 at 09:14

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A drip coffee maker uses boiling water to move water through the system. Anything water passing through should be fine. If you use a french press, you’re on your own.

ttyymmnn > TheRealBicycleBuck 10/22/2018 at 09:21

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Does it really get that hot? They said you’re supposed to boil it for three minutes. You’re the engineer. If you say I won’t get dysentery, I’ll trust you.

random001 > ttyymmnn 10/22/2018 at 09:25

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These two statements together make my head hurt a little...

user314 > ttyymmnn 10/22/2018 at 09:38

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Coffee makers don’t get hot enough for long enough   to sterilize water.

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None of these devices should be used if they are directly connected to your water supply. Also, filters are unacceptable for removing bacteria. Once you have been notified that the boil order has been lifted, these devices should be cleaned and sanitized according to the operator’s manual for the device.

facw > ttyymmnn 10/22/2018 at 10:06

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That’s bad, but I’d much rather they play it safe with that sort of thing.

FWIW, my apartment in Austin had spectacular water pressure, best I’ve had anywhere. I could fill a one liter water bottle in literally  2-3 seconds from my kitchen sink.

phenotyp > ttyymmnn 10/22/2018 at 10:34

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Yeah, read about that first thing, just before getting my 5-year-old up for school. And as someone who’s actually going to Flint tomorrow, that taking-it-for-granted feeling has been on my mind a lot, lately. Was just having a similar conversation with a friend a few days ago, too.

Weird feeling. I mean, as far as those things go, it’s about as mild as it gets— not bacterial/microbial, no active poisons, just... dirt. We generally have great water here (though the lime builds up after a few years, and is a PITA to clean out of showerheads and sinks)... and then I think about 2011 and the big drought, and, then it’s a short skip and hop to unsustainability.

Just Jeepin' > random001 10/22/2018 at 10:41

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I guess fire and flooding are frequent companions. All of those electrical systems that weren’t designed for submersion.

TheRealBicycleBuck > ttyymmnn 10/22/2018 at 10:59

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Not an engineer....

Looks like I was wrong.

Boil away!

ttyymmnn > TheRealBicycleBuck 10/22/2018 at 11:53

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My wife wanted me to go buy some bottled water. Costco is a mad house. Went to Lowe’s and bought a big water cooler, will fill that with boiled water. They also had bottled water, albeit more expensive. I bet most  places will be out by the end of the day.

TheRealBicycleBuck > ttyymmnn 10/22/2018 at 11:58

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Because of our proximity to hurricanes, we keep a large supply of water in the garage, a bunch of five-gallon gas cans which receive stabilizer and get used for lawn mowers (stored in an outside building), and other emergency goodies (batteries, sanitizer, wipes, etc.) in a box in the garage. That helps us avoid the big rush whenever the weather turns.

ttyymmnn > TheRealBicycleBuck 10/22/2018 at 12:14

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Good idea. 

random001 > Just Jeepin' 10/22/2018 at 12:33

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Makes sense, but it still makes my head hurt.

pip bip - choose Corrour > ttyymmnn 10/23/2018 at 05:55

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“fun”

ttyymmnn > pip bip - choose Corrour 10/23/2018 at 08:12

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Yup.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > ttyymmnn 10/23/2018 at 09:33

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So boil the water, then cool it down, then feed it through the Mr. Coffee?

Maybe time to buy a French press?

ttyymmnn > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 10/23/2018 at 09:34

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That’s what we’re doing. No, no French press.