Stinky water

While we were away on vacation, something strange happened to the Indianapolis water supply. Apparently, a naturally-occuring algae bloomed in the White River, and that - combined with an unusual weather pattern we were having at the time - made the water supply become really, really stinky. Officials assured us that the tap water was safe to drink, but for several days last week, the water smelled like something rotten.

Some of our work colleagues were visiting from Austria and Belgium last week, and I went out to dinner with them twice. They were very appalled by the smell of the water (actually, they are typically very appalled with the taste of our tap water, even when there is no "algae" issue), so they asked for bottled water at the restaurants -- but both restaurants (although considered "good" restaurants) only serve tap water. Of course, this is a response to the recent Bottled-Water-Is-No-Longer-Cool movement.

This got me to thinking: why don't we have more water in GLASS bottles here in the States? I mean, really??? When I was in Europe, I saw glass bottles everywhere, with both still and sparkling water. Glass is safe, and easy to recycle or re-use. Here, the only glass bottles of water I ever see (and I don't see a lot of it) are filled with sparkling water only. Yet there's a plethora of choices of bottled water in plastic. With all the talk about plastic being bad for you, you would think that people would wake up, and demand the return of glass.

At any rate, what I learned is, if there was a serious threat to our water supply, those of us living here in Indy would pretty much be a up a creek. A bad water creek. Without a paddle. You could say.