So many people in WV (over 300,000) have the warning about their water being affected by a serious leak. A chemical spill. I have a very close and wonderful couple of "beach-friends" who are in that number. I have telephoned them; they are older people and it is a difficult situation for them not drinking, bathing, or using it at all except to flush the toilet. She has had to put "reminder" paper towels around their faucets to remember not to turn them on. Her son lives 50 miles away and he has an unaffected well and when they cannot find more safe water locally they will have to drive to his home and either stay there, or bring a goodly quantity back to their apartment in their little car. Their other option is to drive south to the campground where we both have a trailer.
Do you know that most water distribution centers limit you to receive 20 gallons? Do you know how much the average person uses in one day? WOW! Some of the water distribution centers require proof of residency to show that it is in one of the affected areas before giving the water.
There is not much people can do. There doesn't seem to be a way to prepare for such a disaster. We prepare for running generators, snowblowers and ice in the area where we live during the winter. Water is mostly associated with freezing walkways, pipes and ice fishing here. We take it for granted.
Click on image to enlarge.
I couldn't have made my pickled beets and eggs today without safe water. I couldn't have taken a shower, washed dishes, or done many other household activities if it stopped being safe.
And I appreciate safe water - you can bet on it!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First hand report just came to me...
WOW, all of you can bet, I will certainly appreciate drinking water,
and running water for showers, washing dishes, and being able to wash my clothes,
Yesterday morning around 8:15 AM (I did not suffer this) but people along the interstate
64 crossing the Elk River which forks in Charleston, WV began to smell a liquor smell,
very sweet, if I hear the story correctly - this went on until around noon, when a small
chemical company on the Elk River discovered one of its holding tanks was leaking a
chemical into the Elk River. Just below this small chemical plant sets nothing else but
the West Virginia - American Water Company which supplies almost all this area with
water.
Bob and I didn't hear of the leak until about 5:30 PM yesterday, when his daughter called
us and told us not to drink, take a shower, or wash clothes - in fact, all they have
approved us doing is flushing the commodes in our homes.
We made a run for all the stores trying to buy up bottled water - pop - anything liquid
- - - - but we were too late. We did not have a very good supply because we knew
we were coming to the beach and was letting our supply of everything run down to
nothing.
However, the good part is, our family is very blessed because my son has a well and
it is pumped into his home at Ripley, WV (50 miles away) but my family can get to
water and if we have to we can take showers and wash clothes at my son's house.
Course, this afternoon, National Guards were everywhere passing out bottled water
- - there were emergency areas to go to and pick up water, etc. They advised all of
us this afternoon about 2:30 to fill our bath tubs up with water to flush our commodes
because they were going to turn all the water off. THEN, 30 minutes later, they
were telling us do not fill your bath tubs up (this is after we had already filled ours up)
because the smell will seep out into your homes and make you sick. So we have
our bathroom shut off and the take-out vent running to keep the smell from coming
out into our other three rooms.
The latest thing we have heard is that they were unable to shut off the water so the
restriction is still in effect - it is now 4:24 PM.
So far, they say that there has only been six people check in at the some 10 area
hospitals for treatment due to the chemical leak.
Thanks Gere for checking on us - I had one other friend call me around noon to see
if we were under the water restrictions. It is nice to know that I have friends that really,
really care.
I will keep you posted ~~
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