Another benefit of having a pool!

[Watermom]

A year and a half ago, in the midst of a derecho storm during a week with temps in the 100s every single day and no power for an entire week, being able to hang out in the pool is the only thing that got us through.

Now, my pool is coming through for us again!!

As some of you may have heard on the news, a large area around Charleston, West Virginia is in the midst of a water contamination issue. Yesterday, a chemical leak contaminated our public water system. We have been told to not use any water for anything other than flushing toilets. Stores are sold out of water, all restaurants are closed, hospitals canceling all surgeries other than emergencies, etc.

We have several cases of bottled water on hand and are just fine for now. (No idea how long this will last.) Can't cook, can't bathe, etc. Excuse me!! I want to wash my hair!!

So says me, "I have a whole pool full of clean, clear water. I may not be able to take a shower, but I'm at least gonna wash my hair!" (And, I didn't want to use a case of bottled water to do so.) So, I took a 5 gallon bucket outside, brought water in, filled some large pots and put them on the stove to boil. Once it cooled down, I used it to wash my hair. Lathered up and then my 18 year old son poured it over my head while I leaned over kitchen sink to rinse. I will also use this for drinking water for my 3 golden retrievers.

So, pool to the rescue yet again!

[CarlD]

Good thinking, Lisa!

[Watermom]

Still can't use water and still glad to have a pool full of water!

Today, I did one better instead of just washing hair. Heated up several pots of water and filled two 5-gallon buckets. Took the buckets into my shower that has a seat in it. Sat in my shower, washed and poured cupfuls of water over myself to rinse. Basically was able to take a complete bath. Felt wonderful. Not fun and not quick, but at least i am relatively clean which is a lot more than most people here in Charleston can say today, 48 hours after all this mess started. Without my pool, I would have no way to do anything more than a spit bath with a jug of water.

P.S. Keep your fingers crossed that this doesn't go on too long!! Not fun!

[CarlD]

I have an idea: go to the local camping store and get a sun shower. Put the hot water in THERE, hang it in the tub, and shower semi-normally.

[Watermom]

Funny you should suggest that, Carl, as I mentioned that very thing to somebody earlier.

[Watermom]

Thought about the sun shower. It would be too heavy to hang up. So, kept thinking.....

Here is what I am doing.

Bringing in buckets full of pool water, boiling it, cooling it, pouring it in a large (clean) trashcan. I have a submersible pump that I keep in my pool (it is also clean). Put the submersible pump into the warmed water, attached a clean (new) 25 ft coiled garden hose. Set the trashcan inside the bath tub, spray yourself to get wet, wash and shampoo, then spray yourself off. ***

Now obviously, this is a PITA, but I have no intention of going without the ability to shower and shampoo for days. (And they just had another press conference which was aired on TV. No timeline yet other than just saying it will be "days.")

**McGyver would be proud, don't ya think! ;)

[CarlD]

He sure would! I am!
A new little Rule bilge pump and float switch would allow you turn the McG shower on and off safely, and runs off 12volts.

[chem geek]

You can certainly use the pool water for showering/bathing since it's definitely clean enough for that purpose. You could even use it for washing and rinsing dishes. What you shouldn't do is use it as a source of drinking water. It's not just the miscellaneous organics in the water that chlorine doesn't completely get rid of, but also the salt level. Boiling the water won't fix that problem unless you were to distill the water and that's a real pain and uses a lot of energy.

Be sure to turn off the automatic fill so that you don't contaminate the pool.

In an emergency, there's always the hot water heater for fresh water that can be used for drinking. That assumes that one turned off the intake prior to the contamination reaching it.

[Watermom]

Nah, we aren't using pool water to drink, just for a shower. I have plenty of bottled water to drink. Thanks, Richard!

[JimK]

Yikes! I did see that on the news the other day.

I hope they come up with a solution for y'all soon!

Kind of reminds me when hurricane Isabel hit here (just before we had our pool installed....construction was delayed several months).

[Watermom]

Yeah, we are hoping this ends soon. It is getting old fast. We are on day 5 without being able to use water for anything other than flushing toilets. The chemical level is decreasing in the water supply. The latest news conference that I watched last night says that as soon as they get enough consistent low levels from their constant testing, they will begin flushing the system by zones and start bringing people back on. They said they are going to set up a website where you can put in your address and it will tell you if you are in the "green" or "red" zone so you will know when you are cleared to flush your lines and use water. They are also going to use an auto-dialer to call people when they are in the green zone. In addition, specific instructions about what residential customers are to do to flush is to be provided to the media and to consumers. As of now, none of this is yet available; thus we are still on the "no use" order.

Schools remain closed. (I am a teacher.) Last night, I was kind of thinking that we might go back on Tuesday but since it is nearly mid-day and no new information has come, I now suspect that odds are that it won't be over by then. It is a large water system --- the largest in the state -- and all the zones are not going to be cleared out quickly I don't suspect.

At any rate, I had sent Ben a picture yesterday to show him my "shower" set up. His comment to me was, "what a hoot!" I thought some of the rest of you might be curious to see it. May give you a chuckle, too!

(Still glad for my pool, says the girl who just got to have a "shower." Seeing as how most people in the area are on day 5 with only having a spit bath!)

[BigDave]

You ingenuity is, as always, impressive. Good luck with the rest of your pollution siege.

[CarlD]

I heard some people in WV are using catchment systems--old-fashioned rain barrels!

[Watermom]

Finally, after 6 days of not being able to use our water, they are lifting the "do not use" order gradually. They still haven't gotten very far. Today around here, everyone's conversation includes, "are you in the red or the blue?" (They decided to do red and blue instead of red and green because of possible color blindness issues.) The water company has a map on their website where you can put in your address and find out if you are in the red or blue area. It is only a small percentage blue at this point. Mostly red.

We finally made it to blue today and are flushing but there is still an odor to the water and it is yellowish. I have drained the hot water tank and have been opening up the other lines as well for several minutes at a time. Then, waiting awhile and doing it some more. Have to throw out the first few batches of ice from the ice maker and change filters, etc. One large area of the city made it to the "blue" and then a few minutes later, a quick "stop" was called and they were changed back to red. Not sure what happened with that but 4 hours later, they are blue again. (Can you imagine the amount of water hitting the water treatment and sanitation plant today?)

I am going to run the dishwasher later. It has dishes in it that have been there for days. I am not going to unload it first but will run it as is and then run it through a second time. I am not yet going to use water to cook with nor am I going to do any laundry today. I do not want to risk the odor getting into the clothes. I'll wait another day and hopefully it will be gone. (Have to run it through first empty to clear those lines before doing a load with clothes.) I *might* take a real shower in the morning. Maybe. I know of two people who made it to the blue zone last night and who showered this morning and said they were really itchy afterwards. So, we'll see about the shower. Either way, I will still use bottled water for washing my face and brushing teeth for awhile.

But ...... it is probably going to be awhile before I am willing to drink the water. They say it is safe, but I am not ready to chance it, especially with the yellowish tinge and the odor.

They have a ways to go to get everybody into the "blue." School was canceled again today. (We also missed last Friday due to this.) And, again tomorrow, no school. Due to the water contamination issue and also the extreme cold (5 below zero) at the beginning of last week, we have only had 1-1/2 days of school in 2014 so far.

You know, everybody always just turns on the faucet to get a drink, brush your teeth, take a shower, etc., and none of us even give it a second thought. We all just take so many things for granted. I think it is going to be a long time til I don't hesitate every time my hand touches that faucet handle.

[Watermom]

Day 7 and still about 150,000 people in the 9 affected counties in West Virginia without safe water. Schools remain closed. Health department officials are going non-stop inspecting places that have already flushed their pipes before they can reopen. (Such as restaurants, day care centers, schools, etc.) They are hoping that all schools can be reopened by next Tuesday. (There is no school Monday due to the Martin Luther King holiday.) The National Guard is delivering water to all schools for the children to drink upon their return to school.

Several more people have been hospitalized. Some people who have been using the water after they flushed their pipes are having issues as well.

Showering and hand washing at my house have not caused us any noticeable problems but won't drink it or cook with it for quite some time. There is no data to let anyone know whether or not this stuff is a carcinogen. I pray not. It is a terrifying thought to think that someday years down the road, my kids could develop cancer as a result of this incident. I pray not. The longer this goes on, the longer you have to think about all of this. Very scary.

[JimK]

I think your cautious approach is wise.

I hope they get it straightened out soon, but like you I would have serious reservations about ingesting it for some time even after it's declared "safe".

[JimK]

How's the water situation going?

[Watermom]

They finally got all areas back in service but I don't know anybody who is using the water for cooking or drinking it. A couple of days after they told us that the water was now safe, they came out with a warning that pregnant women should not drink the water. So........ if it is not safe for pregnant women, how can anybody be safe in drinking it?? A lot of areas are still able to smell the tell-tale licorice smell in the water. One of the news station hired some water testing company out of the area to test for the chemical in samples and to also test for other things. They are supposed to report tomorrow night what they find out. Will be interested to hear. The governor says the area is still under a state of emergency and they continue to have many places where people can go and either be given cases of water for free or fill up containers with water. I don't know how long they will continue to do these things but I suspect it will be for awhile yet. There have been a lot of new cases of people going to the hospital this week after starting to use the 'safe' water. We are showering and washing with it and not seeing any evidence of problems but still using bottled water for drinking and cooking for the foreseeable future. (Even the head of the local health department says that his family is using bottled water for the time being for drinking and cooking.) Of course, the president of the water company appeared on the news and drank a glass of tap water to show everybody that it is safe. Most people are not yet willing to trust that.

All you see on TV are ads for lawyers these days. I think there are already in excess of 30 lawsuits filed. The company has filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy but I don't know the specifics of what that does for them. I read in the news tonight that they have $3 million in liability insurance for pollution and another $2 million in general liability insurance. They say they have already spent $800,000 towards clean up.

It is still a big mess. It is hard to believe that though the leak happened nearly 2 weeks ago, that it is still not over. I hope it will be soon and this is not something that will continue to cause long-term problems for people. That is something that there is no way to know, however, as there just isn't much data on this chemical. Any report that comes out just has a lot of questions answered by, "data not available." I guess we are the guinea pigs.

Unbelievably, schools are still not back in session. They have been closed since end of day Jan. 9 which was a Thursday. Also, closed all the following week due to the water fiasco -- Jan. 13-17 and also closed Monday Jan. 20 due to ML King holiday. Then, closed again today and tomorrow due to snowstorm. This is crazy! Since school closed before Christmas break (last day was Dec. 19), over a month later, the kids have only been in school for 2.5 days. We are assuming they will return on Thursday. Bottled water is there for use. Sinks and fountains are off limits. Hand sanitizer is placed in restrooms. Automated phone calls are going out to let parents know that all meals served will be prepared with bottled water.

Life as we knew it (300,000 of us) has been turned upside down. Trust and taking things for granted has gone by the way side. Not sure if and when it will return.

[JimK]

Wow, what a disaster.

I hope despite the challenges y'all are doing ok.

[Watermom]

So, the headline on today's news says that there was another chemical mixed in with the MCHM. Something called strip PPH. And, it took them 12 days to let somebody know?!?!

"They didn't realize til yesterday."

Gee, thanks, guys. So............. what else are you not telling us?

Like I said in my post from yesterday, this is still a long ways from being over.

[JimK]

So, the headline on today's news says that there was another chemical mixed in with the MCHM. Something called strip PPH. And, it took them 12 days to let somebody know?!?!

"They didn't realize til yesterday."

Gee, thanks, guys. So............. what else are you not telling us?

Like I said in my post from yesterday, this is still a long ways from being over.

Seems criminal they spilled this stuff in the water and don't even know, or just aren't telling, what it is! :mad:

[Watermom]

I also forgot to mention that when asked if he felt it was safe for us to drink the water, our governor's reply was, "it's your decision about whether to use the water."

Isn't that comforting.

[JimK]

I also forgot to mention that when asked if he felt it was safe for us to drink the water, our governor's reply was, "it's your decision about whether to use the water."

Isn't that comforting.

I bet he isn't drinking it.

[CarlD]

I won't "talk politics" here, but you folks are in a h*ll of a mess and clearly it isn't getting fixed and you are not being given reliable information.
Is there enough rain and snow-melt to appreciably help?

[Watermom]

Nearly a month later and still there are issues. Most people are still not drinking or cooking with the water, me included. Every day, you hear more and more. Several times in the past month, the information has changed. First it was 5000 gallon of the MCHM leaked, then it was 7500, then 10,000. Then they tell us that it was apparently leaking for a few days before it was noticed and reported. Then, there was some discussion of it breaking down and causing formaldehyde. A real heyday for the lawyers.

Even today, students at 5 local schools were sent home because of the tell-tale licorice smell being apparent in the water. At one school, a teacher and a student passed out from the odor from flushing. Places flush and flush and flush. They have tested and say that the water is safe but after all the shenanigans that have gone on, people are not trusting. Erin Brockovich has even gotten involved.

If you haven't seen it, google for "Jon Stewart chemical." Funny. Sad, but funny.

Unbelievable.

[JimK]

What a catastrophe! I'm sure there will be big lawsuits. But didn't you day the company had filed bankruptcy? If so it's not likely anyone will get much compensation.

:(

[CarlD]

It is a shell company that declared bankruptcy. They will need to peel back multiple onion layers to get to the money.
It is a revolting mess.

[BigDave]

I was happy today to see your puppies on forum posts again. Welcome back Watermom. How's your water? - I know your pool is good but is the faucet still foul?

[Watermom]

I've been around off and on all winter but there is not much to do. It is good to see forum traffic beginning to pick up a little again.
My puppies, though still pretty adorable to me, are not puppies any longer. They will actually be 3 in April and my older golden will be 10 in May. All are little girls and we really enjoy them.

Regarding the water situation ----Most people are still pretty skeptical and still using bottled water. Many restaurants are still cooking with bottled and serving bottled drinks. It has been kind of funny to listen to all of the officials of all the various involved agencies -- water company, EPA, DEA, health department, etc., dance around. None of the officials actually wanted to utter the word "safe." But, finally about a week ago, someone got brave and uttered the word --- not that it made much difference to most people. It is a trust issue now. I know very few people who are using it yet other than for showering and cleaning.

After two months, (leak happened on Jan. 9), this is the first week that the schools have quit using bottled water for cooking and that the water fountains have been uncovered, although many parents are just packing their child's lunch and still sending bottled water from home. Talk about having a lot of bottles to recycle everywhere! When I was at the recycling center a week ago, I actually took a picture because it was just so unbelievable to see the mountain of bottles!

The water company has not replaced filters yet. Says it may be months before they do. All of this is still very much in the forefront of the news around here. At my house, we are still using bottled. I'm not yet sure when I will switch. Like I said, it is a trust issue.

This has been the craziest year ever that I can remember. Between water contamination crisis and ridiculously atypical winter weather, the kids in my county have missed something like 20 days this year. I have lost count it has been so many.

Anxiously, (though not very patiently), waiting for spring!

[CarlD]

Even WITHOUT water problems the kids up here have missed so many school days they are taking 3 of the 5 days of the Spring Break to make up for the snow days. They hadn't budgeted in a winter break because they opened school late due to the religious holidays falling at a bad time in September. Had they done so, they would have taken days from the Feb break. Even so, they couldn't take the Friday before Presidents' Day and Presidents' Day because of contracts.
The problem is many people (like us) have already paid for Spring Break vacations--and many aren't refundable so the schools will be empty anyway.

And that's WITHOUT the water problems! We still have 6"-10" of snow on the ground, slowly melting.