Get Ye Some Clean Water, Be It By Kettle, Pump, Or Baseball Bat

And in what we can only hope will shape up into a rollicking annual event, Vancouver is teetering on the verge of repeating the Great Water Inconvenience of 2006. Because the recent deluge has stirred up the city's water supply somewhat, Metro Vancouver officials are recommending that anyone with a weak immune system boil tap water before drinking. There isn't a general "boil water" advisory yet, but keep an eye on that tap.

So if you really don't like stoves or kettles, then maybe head out and buy some water now. Remember what happened last time?

The story is this... when the water in the reservoir gets stirred up enough to be cloudy, silt in the water can coat bacteria and form a protective a layer that chlorine can't penetrate. Boiling the water for three minutes will kill these nasty little bastards and leave you with water that might be cloudy, but is safe to drink. A range of alternatives to boiling, each with their own pluses and minuses, are also at your disposal. It's confusing as hell, so I've developed a primer on the four major methods for acquiring safe drinking water during a time of crisis:

1. Boil your tap water
Good: almost free, doesn't require a trip out of the house.
Bad: must have faith in "science", steam burns are a bitch.

2. Buy bottled water
Good: you'll feel smart when you have water and the neighbours don't.
Bad: requires foresight, wastes money, creates needless garbage, can be dangerous (see #3).

3. Acquire one of those nifty water-purifying gimcracks from an outdoorsy store.
Good: prepares you for the apocalypse. You'll feel like the cock of the walk when you pump pure drinking water out of a roadside puddle.
Bad: nerdy, sort of expensive.

4.Go to your local groceteria parking lot and fight someone for their supply.
Good: cheap, makes you feel tough.
Bad: illegal, you'll look like a buffoon, you might get your ass kicked.

Photo courtesy of OiMax.