Exploding Toilets and Spluttering Faucets
Yesterday morning I thought something had exploded right outside the house–maybe gunshots or worse. Not a surprise in this neighborhood as I frequently overhear domestic discussions quite clearly from a block away.
The faucet spluttered as I washed my hands—and then all was made clear.
There was air in the water pipes.
And the Great River of Weir in Beaumont was under revision.
Water Pipes frequently break here–the soil can become like concrete–solid and impenetrable–much like icy frozen ground in the North. While the ground settles and solidifies, the water pipes are not particularly flexible and so they break.
This was a large break about a block away with water rushing past my house and three blocks down on both sides of the street. Heavy equipment pounded away most of the night–I had heard it but thought it was the train five blocks away switching cars.
Today the Great River of Weir has stopped flowing—a small rivulet remains in front of my house but as it is pouring rain today, no-one will notice it until the weather clears.
Sylvia Weir Art 