38 million gallons of drinking water will be drained because someone peed in it

[leviathonlx]

Could have AIDS. Imagine explaining that to the president if it turns out that he does.

Fun fact: it's impossible for AIDs to travel via urine.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Just for comparison. That's about a 1000 pools of this size:

I hate you. I want to jump in that pool!

[Symphonic]

I hate you. I want to jump in that pool!

Don't worry, in real life, it's not that saturated! The colors would be a little more muted.

[lockedout]

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/i...8_million.html

You can't make this shit up. The city of Portland is going to flush 38 million gallons of drinking water because a 19 year old kid was caught on camera peeing into the reservoir.

That's odd because here someone threw a baby in the reservoir it obviously died and contaminated the water. They tossed a bunch of chemicals in it and called it a day. For weeks after our water smelled like bleach and some other nasty shit. We called it dead baby water.

[jordonus]

he's potentially some kind of patient zero,

This is certainly what they think but it only shows their ignorance. With the sheer amount of water and the survivability of infectious diseases transmittable via urine, as well as the conditions of these typical reservoirs, the chance of spreading pretty much any disease he could possibly have is practically 0.

There is a reason why all those apocalyptic chemical or biological movies and tv shows don't have patient zero as some kid pissing in a reservoir, but rather some dead, infected, decomposing, corpse floating in there for days... it's because, despite all of the fantasy unbelievable bullshit they try to cram in to these scenarios and all the suspension of reality, something like this is simply too much fantasy. I mean let's be serious, what's next? Homeopathy works?

[Fullmetal89]

That's odd because here someone threw a baby in the reservoir it obviously died and contaminated the water. They tossed a bunch of chemicals in it and called it a day. For weeks after our water smelled like bleach and some other nasty shit. We called it dead baby water.

Where do you live? That's fucking gross.

[LilSaihah]

Fun fact: it's impossible for AIDs to travel via urine.

That'd make it REALLY hard to explain to the president, then.

The point wasn't necessarily directed at AIDS, that's more me proving I'm an idiot at diseases. The point was that it's impossible to know what that person might have had in their pee, and they may have had something that can be transmitted by urine and'll survive in the reservoir. It's pretty long odds, but it's not really a risk that's worth taking, I don't think.

Also there's all the legal landmines that people have pointed out.

[Shakari]

38 million gallons it a drop in the bucket if that have over 100million+ gallons coming that's uncontaminated in it, so who cares?

That water will get "dumped" presumably into the ocean, then reused 50 years from now once it's filtered.

I don't see why this is a big deal.

Nothing lost, nothing gained -- but a clear conscious

38% is a drop in the bucket... how do you get that, that's a huge amount. And if you compare what stuff ends up in the reservoirs from animals and nature etc a half litre of urine is less than negligible lol seems more of a PR and H&S thing than any realistic health risk its not worth them getting sued.

[Goondicker]

There's got to be something behind the scenes. No way they would do this unless someone was making major bank.

[Shakari]

This is truly sad but I can understand the very misguided reasoning.

Spend ~$200,000 flushing the reservoir or get sued for $20,000,000 if this information gets out and no action was taken. This sets a very poor precedent because there is no logical reason to flush the water. Some guy takes a piss in the reservoir and he's potentially some kind of patient zero, animals defecate and die in the reservoir..... cheers everyone drink up. Pretty irrational basis for flushing a reservoir when so many other risks of equal if not greater magnitude exist and no precautions are taken against them.

Indeed very much the case.

[Savoir Faire]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_880864.html

This isn't the first time this has occurred at the reservoir, and it won't be the last. Most treated reservoirs in the country aren't open and I can't find the link, but the cost to cover the reservoir is insane.

This is 100% political, and I really can't blame the guy. Otherwise, any sick person gets to blame it on the water company, and if it happens to be a slow news day, the media will eat it up. If this were actually dangerous then all the birds and animals pissing in the reservoir would be killing people. It's not the diseases that are the problem, it's the bacteria:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walkerton_Tragedy

[Glnger]

maybe people should be more concerned about the way that their drinking/bathing water is being stored. If a person can pee in the water then an animal can pee/poop in the water perhaps die in the water, ect ect.

"oh boy, we got rid of all that water that someone "PEED!" in.. now lets go back to business as usual as a raccoon with rabies vomits and dies in it.

I'm surprised that the regulations are so lax as to allow this to occur. I mean, we spend trillions fighting wars half a world away, suffer through being sexually assaulted to ride an airplane, ect.. all that and some kid (probably drunk/drugging) has the potential to poison the local water supply.

[HeroZero]

one part 'urine' to 380 million parts of water? Ah yes that is totally unacceptable amounts... idiots. heck if you just wanna look at how much urea that put into the water it would be in ppbillion instead. Foolish people doing stupid shit, because of a dumb thing, because it's a reactionary 'feel good' measure.

[vindicatorx]

Wow. well heres a suggestion, urm, maybe make the reservoir more protected?

How many birds do you think fly over it and drop there shit or piss into such a thing, its open air.

That was my thought as well not only that but polluted rainwater etc 1 dumbass peeing in it isn't going to kill anyone.

[Kezmaefele]

I don't know about the story and I don't have anything to say about it other than...

This is why I come to MMO-champs...To see a thread title like this. You guys crack me up.

[ben-]

Could have AIDS. Imagine explaining that to the president if it turns out that he does.

You arent getting HIV/AIDS through urine. The good news is Urine and Feces dont transmit the disease.

On topic, The small amount of urine this kid put in already treated water is nothing. Imagine all the bird and animal excrement already present in it.

[Buu]

Could have AIDS. Imagine explaining that to the president if it turns out that he does.

How AIDS work on your universe? Because you're probably posting from an alternate universe.

[AlphaandOmega]

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/i...8_million.html

You can't make this shit up. The city of Portland is going to flush 38 million gallons of drinking water because a 19 year old kid was caught on camera peeing into the reservoir.

I see that it is a open air reservoir I guess bird crap isn't as bad as a guy's piss.

[Mithfin]

Just for comparison. That's about a 1000 pools of this size:

Yellow watermelons?! Blasphemy!

//The whole story is just an another example of human irrationality. Beware, Ariely will write a book on that.

[Adam Jensen]

How many birds shit in that water? How many contaminants get blown into by wind?

And they're going to flush 38 million gallons over a little urine?

Yeah, 38 million gallons of water mixed with an ounce or two of urine . . . you'd be "lucky" to drink more than a few molecules of that kids piss