For the last month the water here has both tasted and smelled like dirt. I asked Katie and she said she didn't taste or smell anything. I went out to eat with Holly to a place in Claremont where the water also tasted like dirt (yeah, Claremont, even you) and she said she couldn't taste anything. I was beginning to think that I had a brain tumor that was affecting my senses. I would die a poor spinster, alone with my felt.
But it wasn't a tumor. It was just my mutant sense of smell. Because 3 days after I had the bad water in Claremont I got a text from Holly saying it was bad in LaVerne. And at the same time I was down in Chino at the old homestead and it was gross there too, and I wasn't the only one who thought so. And then suddenly Katie could taste it at our place. And then my dad told me today that he heard on the radio that the water supply for western San Bernardino County and Eastern LA County (I live about 1 mile from the county line. I'm at the epicenter of bad water.) has an algae bloom that's causing the water to taste like dirt. Fantastic. We can all rejoice that I'm not going to die alone with my felt, and they claim that it is harmless and are handling the situation. But even so, my water still tastes and smells like it's being pumped in from a pond.
On a tangential note, last night I had to make a quick run into Stater Bros. to pick up some hamburger buns and the man in front of me at the check out was buying 20 cans of Friskies cat food and 20 packets of Kool-aid mix. I initially thought that he was throwing a party for his cats but now I'm wondering if he's trying to mask the taste of the nasty water. I like his style (even though he looked like a hobo). I'm always up for Kool-aid.
4 comments:
Ooh... I wondered why the Claremont water tasted all musty while I was visiting - mystery solved, thanks!
Ew. I hate it when water tastes like dirt. Please don't die of algae overdose. I would be devastated. And kudos to your super sniffer for identifying the problem long before anyone else. They should hire you and pay you lots and lots of money to use your nose for good.
Rachel, I love your blog. I've never commented before, but figure now was as good as time as any. I was so excited to share the cause of the dirty tasting water, but then your story continued and your dad obviously beat me to it. Which I'm glad you no longer have to worry about tumors or aliens controlling your taste buds (because why would aliens want to control anything but taste buds?). My dad is the Director of drinking water quality for the Metropolitan Water District of California and told us almost two weeks ago about the foul water (unfortunately there's nothing they can do about it and more unfortunately he said it will be like this for some time). Before the official report came out he tasted the water and said "bleh, there must be an algae bloom."
Some people know when others are natural jerks. My dad knows when water gets naturally scummy.
Now I feel like I'm in that awkward moment where two people finally meet and one of them gets nervous so they divulge too much random nonsensical verbiage. Guess which one I am.
But thanks for the entertaining posts.
Ok, TOTALLY thought it was just me. It's even been negatively affecting my skin.
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