# 7.8 million gallons of water tossed out because a single guy urinated in it **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 17, 2011, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-8-million-gallons-of-water-tossed-out-because-a-single-guy-urinated-in-it/585782 "2011-06-17T02:33:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-8-million-gallons-of-water-tossed-out-because-a-single-guy-urinated-in-it/585782/41 "2011-06-17T13:54:28Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > And Batman’s latest nemisis, “The Tinkler”, finally makes his media appearance. [Everybody Loves the Tinklers.](http://www.documentarychannel.com/movie.php?currID=2821&t=Everybody-Loves-the-Tinklers) ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-8-million-gallons-of-water-tossed-out-because-a-single-guy-urinated-in-it/585782/42 "2011-06-17T14:04:52Z")
Between this and the thread about food service workers wearing gloves, I think it’s time to officially declare that we have become a nation of OCD pussies. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-8-million-gallons-of-water-tossed-out-because-a-single-guy-urinated-in-it/585782/43 "2011-06-17T14:07:29Z")
So, is the cost of this idiotic idea going to come out of this knucklehead’s salary, or what? ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-8-million-gallons-of-water-tossed-out-because-a-single-guy-urinated-in-it/585782/44 "2011-06-17T14:30:32Z")
Human urine is (as far as I recall) relatively sterile. This guy is a total idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-8-million-gallons-of-water-tossed-out-because-a-single-guy-urinated-in-it/585782/45 "2011-06-17T14:57:35Z")
> [@Lord\_Mondegreen](#): > > ETA: I swear I will preview next time. No-one had mentioned homeopathy when I hit the reply button. That will teach me to walk away from my computer with a thread open. (Actually no, it probably won’t). What _should_ teach you not to leave your computer unlocked and logged in to a message board can be summarized in two words: Hal. Sheep. ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-8-million-gallons-of-water-tossed-out-because-a-single-guy-urinated-in-it/585782/46 "2011-06-17T15:37:46Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > So, is the cost of this idiotic idea going to come out of this knucklehead’s salary, or what? It should. This decision cost $32,000. That’s somebody’s salary for a year that just went down the drain. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-8-million-gallons-of-water-tossed-out-because-a-single-guy-urinated-in-it/585782/47 "2011-06-17T15:52:27Z")
But you _guys_, what if he had _the gay_. The \*entire city of Portland \*might have caught it! ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-8-million-gallons-of-water-tossed-out-because-a-single-guy-urinated-in-it/585782/48 "2011-06-17T16:00:45Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > Why the hell doesn’t Portland invest in some rubber membrane topped reserviors already? I’d love to see this tried this with our local reservior: 25 **Billion** gallons. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-8-million-gallons-of-water-tossed-out-because-a-single-guy-urinated-in-it/585782/49 "2011-06-17T16:08:44Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > I’d love to see this tried this with our local reservior: 25 **Billion** gallons. Kinda depands on how deep the resevoir is… Deep enough, you could cover it with a shower cap. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-8-million-gallons-of-water-tossed-out-because-a-single-guy-urinated-in-it/585782/50 "2011-06-17T16:36:08Z")
This story just has me shaking my head, for many reasons. [Here’s a picture of Glenmore Reservoir](http://www.flickr.com/photos/stecyk/3756211384/), which supplies the drinking water for a city of over a million people. Note the boats on it. If you went to the water management folk here complaining that someone peed in the water, they’d probably gently escort you back out the door. There is NO way that Portland doesn’t treat its drinking water before it heads out into city pipes, just like we do. There’s also the downstream factor; everyone’s downstream from some other city’s waste management programme. That was just one big, honking waste of water. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-8-million-gallons-of-water-tossed-out-because-a-single-guy-urinated-in-it/585782/51 "2011-06-17T16:39:04Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > Why the hell doesn’t Portland invest in some rubber membrane topped reserviors already? Ribbed for her pleasure? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-8-million-gallons-of-water-tossed-out-because-a-single-guy-urinated-in-it/585782/52 "2011-06-17T17:10:31Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > I’d love to see this tried this with our local reservior: 25 **Billion** gallons. I have an image of Robert Wagner clearing his throat at Dr. Evil as I read this 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-8-million-gallons-of-water-tossed-out-because-a-single-guy-urinated-in-it/585782/53 "2011-06-17T17:11:37Z")
Well, if a MARRIED guy had peed in the reservoir, that would have been okey-dokey… ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-8-million-gallons-of-water-tossed-out-because-a-single-guy-urinated-in-it/585782/54 "2011-06-17T17:14:25Z")
Look, just because he got permission beforehand… ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-8-million-gallons-of-water-tossed-out-because-a-single-guy-urinated-in-it/585782/55 "2011-06-17T17:25:28Z")
And on the next episode of Portlandia… ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-8-million-gallons-of-water-tossed-out-because-a-single-guy-urinated-in-it/585782/56 "2011-06-17T17:43:24Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > But you _guys_, what if he had _the gay_. The \*entire city of Portland \*might have caught it! Too late. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-8-million-gallons-of-water-tossed-out-because-a-single-guy-urinated-in-it/585782/57 "2011-06-17T19:48:28Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > I’d love to see this tried this with our local reservior: 25 **Billion** gallons. This made me curious, so I had to look it up. Here in Boston, our primary reservoir, the Quabbin, holds 412 Billion gallons when full. And apparently, the water is not filtered, so I’ve probably drunk whole molecules of piss before. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-8-million-gallons-of-water-tossed-out-because-a-single-guy-urinated-in-it/585782/58 "2011-06-17T20:02:01Z")
> [@Estilicon](#): > > Pee in the water? Will someone think of the children? I did. Most of them pee in the water, too. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-8-million-gallons-of-water-tossed-out-because-a-single-guy-urinated-in-it/585782/59 "2011-06-17T20:53:50Z")
I was stung by a jellyfish once, and someone emptied a reservoir on me. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-8-million-gallons-of-water-tossed-out-because-a-single-guy-urinated-in-it/585782/60 "2011-06-17T21:09:34Z")
Wouldn’t that pee-water be a good homeopathic remedy for something? Seriously, at that dilotion level, would you stand any risk? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-8-million-gallons-of-water-tossed-out-because-a-single-guy-urinated-in-it/585782.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-8-million-gallons-of-water-tossed-out-because-a-single-guy-urinated-in-it/585782.md?page=4)