Earlier today, a water main broke in Weston (about 20 miles west of Boston) spilling an estimated 8 million gallons an hour into the Charles River. The break affects 36 communities in eastern Massachusetts comprising 2 million people including the City of Boston.
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency and residents are being ordered to boil drinking water. A state of emergency has also been declared by Boston Mayor Tom Menino.
At the risk of being crass I've been thinking how this crisis will affect Patrick's chances at re-election in November. The shorter the duration of the crisis the better it will be for Patrick. While Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker and Democrat turned indepedent Tim Cahill snipe at each other Patrick can point to how he handled a crisis. But if it takes weeks for the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority to repair the water main then Patrick might be subject to a lot of heat.
Speaking of heat, temperatures are expected to hit 90 degrees tomorrow. It couldn't be a worse time for a water main to break. Let's hope things aren't compounded with power outages.
As for me I am fine at the moment. I have several bottles of water and other assorted beverages. I am fortunate because bottled water is in short supply as you can imagine. Under the circumstances, I am sorely tempted to head to Walden Pond tomorrow for a swim.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
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1 comment:
I live in Cambridge and had signed up for sms alerts about snow emergencies so I know when I have to move my car. They texted me last night to say we wouldn't be affected by the water main break. Pretty cool.
Rob
p.s. any guess how warm the water will be at Walden? Have you been already this year?
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