H2-OMG!

The city I work for isn’t huge, but we are nearing 100,000 people so we aren’t a small population, either. Twice a year, we flush out our water lines in the street to freshen the water system. This sometimes causes the water to be discoloured, but it is perfectly safe to use and drink.

Every once in a blue moon, if someone runs a wash of white clothes at the same time, the clothes will be stained, but we can give them a bottle of stain remover, and we have never had anything permanently damaged. I answer the phone.

Me: “[City].”

Caller: “My water is a disgusting brown; I can’t use it!”

Me: “Where do you live?”

Caller: “[Address]!”

Me: “I’m sorry. They are flushing the lines in your area, but the water is perfectly safe to use during this time and should clear up by the end of the day.”

Caller: “Why didn’t they tell me? It is dangerous for me because I was going to do laundry!”

Me: “Sorry about that. They aren’t able to inform everyone in person, as it affects quite a large area. I would wait until the water clears to do your laundry, just to be safe.”

Caller: “I can’t believe they wouldn’t tell me! I have allergies, and I can’t be drinking the water when it looks like that! It could kill me!”

Me: “The water is regularly tested and perfectly safe to drink, but if you prefer to wait until it clears, it shouldn’t be too much longer.”

Caller: “It’s dangerous for me! Why wouldn’t they tell me?”

Me: “Unfortunately, they are unable to tell every household, but we do publish it on our website, on social media, in the newspaper, and over the radio.”

Caller: “They can’t expect me to check the website every day?! I can’t listen to the media because the news makes me too sad!”

Me: “I’m really sorry. They do try to get the message out to everyone.”

Caller: “Well, they should tell me! I can’t listen to the news and it’s dangerous for me!”

I finally managed to calm her down, but I have no idea how she thought we would inform hundreds of people a week door to door.