Dirty Water

For years I have taken good water for granted, first in the Seattle area then North Idaho. I didn't realize how privileged we are. Great clean water and good sewage disposal policies.Hey, even our irrigation water is better than the drinking water of central California.

I had a recent conversation with my daughter-in-law who felt that early puberty and an inordinate amount of twins born in this area is due to polluted water.So far, no two headed babies, but that is probably not far off. Nobody actually drinks the stuff. Some install filters so that they don't even have to shower in the local water, and this water has gone through a public utility filtration process.

There are two principle causes for this problem. Central California is the heart of our region's farms raising vegetables that we depend on as well as large dairy farms. The cows poop and pesticides abound. Also, those homes still on septic systems add to the problem.

O.K., you say, that happens all over the country, so why is it just a problem in the Central Valley? The answer is the water table.Here in Manteca, my plumber son tells me, "the water table is just five feet under the surface." This means all of the cow urine and poop along with the pesticides and with the aforementioned septic systems, create a plume of crap sinking directly into the aquifer, the water that is perfunctorily filtered, then piped to every home and business.

Why then does the EPA pick on North Idaho when bigger fish reside in California? Who knows, maybe the choice is bad water or no water. If this story doesn't make you feel warm and fuzzy about our clean clear water, nothing will.

Now we have a political crises made one due to a single Ideologue bent on stopping spending regardless of what the expenditure is or how necessary it is. In this case, clean water is the goal, one mandated by the EPA. This Jerk doesn't offer an alternative, just Mule like stubbornness. This is a great example of be careful what you wish for, you may get it. Remember, you folks voted for this guy.

In the mean time, I am making Pepsi and Coca Cola many bucks selling bottled water. I'll be glad to get home where I can turn on the tap and get clean, pure water.