Boil Water Advisory due to power outage in New Orleans

I recently came across this article (Boil Water Advisory In Effect For Orleans Parish East Bank) about New Orleans which was best known for its devastation by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 from a water point of view. (Yes, I know that it is well known for its Madi Gras and the Cajun influence but hey, this is a water blog.)

What caught my eye was "It's the most widespread boil-water order in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina, affecting more than 300,000 people." Basically a 10-minute (yes, only 10 minutes) power outage at the local water treatment plant prompted city officials to declare that all tap water for drinking and cooking should be boiled for at least a minute. Bathing is fine as long as you keep your mouth shut. This advisory lasted for a day or so.

Again, I stressed that energy and water are intimately linked. Remember the Matrix Reloaded, electricity is supposed to be the system all other systems are built on. Knock it out and other systems will follow.

Of course, if the power outage lasts longer, how are you going to boil water with your electric kettle? If your gas supply is down, the stove becomes out of the question too. Therefore, it is never a bad idea to have a good water filter handy for such emergencies, if not for routine use.