Hurricane Charley did not cut off our water supply; we did not even lose pressure, as some cities did, so our tap water remains healthful. Most of those being told to boil their water are also without power, and gas stoves are rare. Fortunately, gas grills are more common.
We can argue about whether it is good or bad to add fluoride to water. We can worry about Prozac making its way into our water supplies. We can aver that, despite treatment, dangerous chemicals still lurk in dangerous amounts in our tap water, and drink only filtered or bottled water. Then we can worry about what dangerous chemicals might be in that water. Some of us can remember the taste of cold mountain springs or fresh well water, and regret that our children may never experience such pleasure. But we can't deny that access to plentiful, clear water—hot or cold at our touch, even!—that doesn't harbor life-threatening germs and parasites, is a blessing that sets us apart from most of the people who have ever lived.The cool shower—and the blessing of soap—that rinses away the heat, grime, and sweat of our clean-up efforts. Flush toilets. Clean dishes and clean clothes. The jugs of frozen water that kept our food from spoiling while we were without power. A glass of pristine ice water, the world's best and most thirst-quenching drink. The luxury of a long, hot, soaking bath. We even put thousands of gallons of precious, clean drinking water into a hole in the back yard and swim in it!
And let's not forget the sewer system—a thought appropriate here because our sewer and water bills come together, and because if the dirty water were allowed to accumulate, the clean water wouldn't last long. There was a danger in Charley that I hadn't realized: our sewage treatment plants require power to operate, and loss of power meant that the sewers could start backing up into our homes! Altamonte Springs handled the problem well, using huge, portable generators to feed the treatment plant lines, but it is still a great concern in harder–hit areas.
Water. Cleanliness. Health. Much too easily taken for granted. It makes one want to write a huge check to World Vision, or some other organization that works to provide clean water to those who need it.
