A Nice Big Cup of...Sewer Water?

Sometimes I just don't want to read the newspaper. Apparently some businesses in Chula Vista have been getting recycled sewer water not fit for human consumption in their tap water. Yes, I sh*te you not (pun intended). The story is not for people with mysophobia/verminophobia. Actually, you don't have to be a germaphobic for this story to gross you out.

Here's the skinny. When the business park was built back in 2002, somebody hooked up the "purple" pipe (indicating recycled water) instead of the drinking water pipe. This means 17 businesses have been getting a 1/5 mix of recycled sewer water in their tap water for the past 2 years. (gross!) Guess the mix was minimal enough where the businesses didn't notice.

The worst part of this story? Since May 2007 (that's 3 months folks), they have been getting 100% recycled water because of a deal Otay Water District made with city of San Diego to get 100% recycled water instead of the 4:1 part mix. (Dare I say it? Kind of leaves a bad taste in your mouth.)

When one business owner complained back in July about the smell (ew), color (ew ew), and the taste (okay, just stop now), the county water district "flushed" the system and thought that cleared the problem. Flushed?? Did they really say flushed? Really, I didn't choose the word. And you can't make this sh*te up (okay, I'll stop with the puns but they started it).

The property owner had to send off a sample of the water to a private lab to finally get some results. (Can you hear it now? Caller: Um, hello Otay Water District? Yeah, I want to report a funky smell and taste in my tap water. OWD: What do you mean? Caller: My water from the tap smells and taste funny, and it's yellow. OWD: Oh that's normal. That's just the water we get from city of San Diego. I assure you, if it's okay for San Diego plants, it's okay for Chula Vista consumption. Have a nice day!)

At this point, 2 food related businesses have been shut down by the county Department of Environmental Health, others have posted warnings not to drink the water (you know, pretend like you're in Mexico). The Otay district is now dealing "with the question of how this could have happened." (Oo oo! I know! Someone f---ed up!)

The article said that the coliform bacteria presence in the water is "not necessarily harmful" but come on...let's see a show of hands how many people would drink this "not necessarily harmful" water. Yeah, that's what I thought. If it was a competition between how many people who would drink that water and how many people who read my blog everyday, my blog would win...hands down.

The article also made mention of the "toilet to tap" plan, the "the long-discussed plan in San Diego to send highly treated wastewater back to taps"...um yeah...okay, that's enough...all this blogging has made me thirsty. Think I'll go dunk my head a few times in one of the women's toilets. So the next time someone tells me I'm full of it, I'll just tell him, "No, I don't drink Chula Vista water."