Talk About Some Bad Water

Since Sunday, parts of Mercer County, i.e. Trenton, Ewing, Lawrence, Hamilton, and Hopewell Townships experienced low water pressure and 'bad water' because of an emergency shutdown at the Trenton water filtration plant. The system shutdown was due to excessive muddy, turbid water from the Delaware Riving flowing too high as a result from the heavy rain last week. After four days of a boil water advisory, residents of Ewing and Trenton are growing frustrated with not only the lack of communication from the townships, but are wondering when they can finally use the water without having to boil it.

Having family affected by this newspaper headlining 'water event,' I could not help but think how much people take just the basic life essentials for granted, when there are wars over these basic necessities. So we need to boil water just to drink it, we at least are fortunate enough to have running water from our faucets, and washing machines to wash our clothes instead of having to walk a mile to the river to fetch water for a family that will last a day or to wash your clothes. It disgusts me to think of how some people, ah hemm, Americans take everything we have for granted. In just fifty (50) years, as population increases, and as more and more water is wasted and not conserved, all drinkable water we have on this planet will be gone. Yes, we are the water planet, however unless we can extract the salt from the salt water in the oceans, without substantially effecting the ocean ecosystem and the overall balance of the Earth systems (systems meaning the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere). I am almost sure there is innovative research on this idea in the works.

This experience made me think of a trip my sister and I took to Tijuana, Mexico. With the collaboration of a local youth group and the Habitat for Humanity, we built houses for people who literally has nothing (besides each other). While we were there, in the scorching heat, we had a limited supply of water. We had to conserve what we had because the water truck stopped by once a day. But we were Americans, we are from the country where we expect to have water at our fingertips. We also had a bucket of cold water at night (if we were lucky) to bathe ourselves; not in a shower, but out in the open area, in the dark just to wash the dirt and grime off from that days work. I can remember wanting to wet my lips from being so parched, but I could not let the water touch my mouth because I didn't want to get 'montezuma's revenge.'

Just think about all the people who would literally die just to have a taste of that water, the next time you are wasting down the drain...

Next on the list of bad water is the mess in Hungary with the toxic sludge. If one environmental disaster is not enough this year (The oil spill in the Gulf), hopefully, most likely she will as history has proven, Mother Nature will rebound from this toxic human mess.
A reservoir from an aluminum plant located about 100 miles West of Budapest near the town of Ajka, burst Monday that sent approximately 100 milling cubic meters ( toxic red sludge downhill affecting three villages with consequences that can't be fathomed. Hungarian disaster management is watching the Danube River. Flow of the sludge downstream will not only affect the water ecosystem, but other counties well face consequences as well. Officials stated they believe pH levels have dropped within an acceptable range, making the river safe enough to not affect the water ecosystem. The exact chemical compositions within the sludge is still unknown however, it is known that aluminum processing involves compounds involving Cadmium, chromium, and cyanide; all of which cause
The reservoir that was been plugged with tons of plaster to the river to help bind the sludge, passed inspection, but failed to contain all the sludge. Environmentalists are affraid of the damage already done as well as fear the further damage that will be done now that the sludge has reached the Danube River. The amount of that damage is still yet to be assessed.
Another environmental catastrophe.

In a matter of a year:
- The eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano spreading volcanic ash high into the stratosphere across the globe.
- Devastating earthquake in Hati that sent tremors and movements months after from Canada that could be felt in Jersey (!)
- Flooding rains in Pakistan and Vietnam and along the East Coast
- Record amount of tornadoes in the southwest U.S., where they typically see about 4 tornadoes in a year, they saw in one day.
- Glaciers melting in Montana at record rates.
- The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that has decimated the fishery ecosystem and the U.S. fish economy trying to survive in this great recession.
- Toxic sludge in Hungary, now flowing in the Danube River.

I really hate to be so negative, but stop and take a look at the world around you. We need to pay attention and look at the bigger picture We need to take care of the planet that has taken care of our human race since mans creation. We need to stop abusing and using, and start giving back.