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Partly Cloudy ~ River stage: 33.99 Rising Saturday, November 21, 2009 |
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Testing the waters
Posted Wednesday, September 3, 2008, at 5:18 PM<< Previous | Read comments | Respond | Email link | Next >>
This blog has a two-fold purpose. I'm testing a newsroom laptop equipped with a portable wireless connection -- the better to live blog by -- and I have a question for readers as I put the finishing touches on a story tomorrow about how small communities keep the drinking water, well, drinkable (techical term: potable).
On Friday, the Scott County Health Department's administrator, Barry Cook, issued a letter that effectively gave the city of Chaffee and its businesses the right to use water, despite an outstanding Missouri Department of Natural Resources boil-water order. Cook said he did it to help the city, because state labs were closed through the weekend and he was told the city had sufficient chlorine in the system. But a DNR official in Poplar Bluff was not happy to hear about the letter, telling me -- in the nicest possible way -- that while he didn't want to fuss at the county health folks, the DNR's mandated boil-water order is not superceded by a county health department letter. What do you think?
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When the boiled water order was issued, it seemed to me that the problem had existed for quite some time already. I didn't see any reason to participate as nobody had gotten sick yet. Besides, beer is better in the dog days of summer.
Actually the water is tastier than it ever was. I've often had a feeling that the city water supply was supplimented by excess public swimming pool water.
Unfortunately the boiled water order has only brought to light the poor condition Chaffee's water treatement plant, and supply network are really in. In the older parts of town the pipes are literally coming through the faucets, toilets, baths and washing machines.
I'm sure the city will explore all possible options before raising the taxes ;)
Nonetheless, the problem is going to have to addressed.