Aquapocalypse Update.

If you're not Bostonian, this may not have made it to your news: the main water supply pipe for 2 million people, including all of Boston and most surrounding cities, has cracked.

Relatively non-hyperbolic coverage: http://www.necn.com/05/01/10/The-crack-that-started-it-all/landing_newengland.html?blockID=227131&feedID=4206

In an unusual case of understatement, the reporter asks "the million-dollar question is, when will it be repaired?" We'll be spending more than a million dollars to fix this.

In the meantime, today will be unseasonably warm (high of 90F (32C) expected) but it cools down to mid and low 70s tomorrow.

We have a day or two's supply of bottled drinking water and are starting to boil water for cleaning hands and faces.

The MWRA reports that water in all the affected communities is being tested for bacteria levels and that water is being supplied through a treatment plant -- but it's not known to be safe yet.

Summary: if you live inside 128 and aren't in Cambridge, you are probably affected. Don't drink tap water, don't get it in your eyes or mouth. Don't wash your car or water your lawn or refill your pool. Water for drinking or hand/face washing should be brought to a rolling boil for a minute before use -- yes, you can cool it after the boil. Emergency has been declared, the boil water order has been issued, more news here: http://www.mwra.com/updates/leak.html

Aquapocalypse Update.

If you're not Bostonian, this may not have made it to your news: the main water supply pipe for 2 million people, including all of Boston and most surrounding cities, has cracked.

Relatively non-hyperbolic coverage: http://www.necn.com/05/01/10/The-crack-that-started-it-all/landing_newengland.html?blockID=227131&feedID=4206

In an unusual case of understatement, the reporter asks "the million-dollar question is, when will it be repaired?" We'll be spending more than a million dollars to fix this.

In the meantime, today will be unseasonably warm (high of 90F (32C) expected) but it cools down to mid and low 70s tomorrow.

We have a day or two's supply of bottled drinking water and are starting to boil water for cleaning hands and faces.

The MWRA reports that water in all the affected communities is being tested for bacteria levels and that water is being supplied through a treatment plant -- but it's not known to be safe yet.

Summary: if you live inside 128 and aren't in Cambridge, you are probably affected. Don't drink tap water, don't get it in your eyes or mouth. Don't wash your car or water your lawn or refill your pool. Water for drinking or hand/face washing should be brought to a rolling boil for a minute before use -- yes, you can cool it after the boil. Emergency has been declared, the boil water order has been issued, more news here: http://www.mwra.com/updates/leak.html