Troubled Waters
I've been part of city council for more than ten years, and the public outcry following the boil water order is the greatest I've seen in that time. Whether we've been shopping at the grocery store, having coffee at the Bison, or talking to friends at church, people have been stopping me to ask questions and let me know how angry they are.
They're angry because they are paying for an essential service that they are not getting.
They're angry because they are having to assume extra costs to ensure that they and their families, or if they run a business, their customers, don't get sick. It's more than inconvenient, it costs money, whether to buy bottled water, or in increased energy costs to boil water for cooking, drinking, and washing.
They're angry because they feel that this council has spent money wastefully, on nice-to-haves, while not taking care of the necessities.