“Water, water, everywhere…and not a drop to drink.” This famous misquote of Samuel Taylor Coleridge sums up today in Boston. I’m visiting the city to attend a conference, but less than 48 hours ago they had a massive water main break which has left the city without drinkable tap water.
Look around much of the city, including the view from my room (above) and you see water everywhere – the “Bahston Hahbah” (aka Boston Harbor), the Charles and Muddy Rivers, even the Frog Pond in Boston Common are examples of all the water in Boston. Did I mention it rained this morning? Truly water everywhere - even coming from the skies…but in order to drink the water, you must boil it first.
The water main break impacted approximately 2 million people in the Boston area. With 64 million gallons of water lost due to the break, officials had to use untreated water in order to continue providing water to the region. A local spokesperson compared the untreated water to lake water to explain why it was unsafe to drink. I’m glad they had that option available to allow for bathing, flushing, and fire protection. Even the thought of bathing in untreated water doesn’t stop the conferences from taking place, the offices/schools/stores/restaurants from opening, or the city from carrying on with its regular Monday activities. An event like this shows just how adaptable people can be. The hotel is giving away the water in the mini-bar so you can brush your teeth, restaurants are dispensing sodas from a bottle or can rather than fountain sodas, and in general people are adjusting to the situation. The human spirit is alive and well. So is the sense of humor. Even though I’ve met some of the conference attendees, it’s always important to make a good first impression, so I have to admit I was a bit nervous about having to use untreated “lake water” for showering. When I mentioned the situation to an online acquaintance who I am meeting for the first time tonight, he said he would look for the woman with moss in her hair – now THAT would make for an interesting first face-to-face meeting! ______________________About the author: When not traveling to conferences, Sharon enjoys spending time with family. She blogs & tweets about motherhood, marketing & medical mayhem.