We smelled like shit

Not too long after I had my dinner, Lemuel invited May and I to go with him to his new favourite hang out, where you can't wear slippers, singlet, or shorts. So May and I were in the car with Lemuel and Melanie, right? We were going to have a good time. Then May asked us if the water in our houses smelled bad. "You had it too? So it was the water?". Yes, I noticed something smelly when I took my bath earlier. Everything went pretty smooth until I started to rinse off the shampoo from my hair. That's when I smelled it. I smelled shit.

 

In that short moment of shock and disgust, i first concluded that it was bird shit on my head, must have got it on the way to the train station. So I quickly rinsed my hair and clean my body, hoping that the smell would go off. But no... Now the smell is more intensed. So now I thought that the bird shit had found its way into my nose. What a bumper. Now the truth is known, and Segambut, Selayang, and Jalan Ipoh has been affected. And there we were, 4 people, 1 car, heading to a cool place, smelling like shit. I already felt

 

I took extra precaution that night. I wouldn't want to smell like shit forever. I bought mineral water from 7-11, and met an old classmate. I asked him if he faced the same water problem. He was shocked - "Ei. You tau rumah saya kat mana?", which is malay for "Why you know where I live?".

 

As I walked pass some hawker stalls in front of the train station the next morning, they gave me a friendly smile and gave an invitation to treat. I'm not ignorant, I know they washed their hands and their food with shit-smelling water. I assumed that it was a national thing, so o nce I reached the office, I asked if anyone smelled like shit today. Of course everyone ignored me, as usual. I read the newspaper to find out more about this, and I found the explanation to be unsatisfactory.

 

'that dirty water from rivers and ponds, which overflowed into Sungai Selangor following the heavy rain on Sunday morning, caused the problem. In a statement yesterday, Syabas said the overflow had caused an increase of ammonia in the raw water source from Sungai Selangor.  The operators at the three water treatment plants in Sungai Selangor had to increase the level of chlorine to bring down the ammonia level in the raw water – and the high chlorine content was what made the water smelly. '

 

Now wait a minute. I know what chlorine smells like. I even know what chlorine water tastes like. And they certainly don't smell like shit!! If not, we won't be going to the swimming pools no more!! Today I searched for more information and I found this.

 

'due to the heavy rain , water from IWK treatment plant overflowed into sungei Selangor and into PUAS raw water intake. Indeed a press release at PUAS website confirmed this'

 

Now I googled IWK treatment plant, and it's actually Indah Water Konsortium - Sewage Treatment Plant!! Now that explains the shit smell!! Let's read on on what the newspaper had to say still -

 

' "Consumers need not worry. Based on tests done, treated water supplied to consumers is safe as it followed the standards set by the Health Ministry," he added.'

 

Now I'm no expert in health. But if I were part of Health Ministry, faeces-contaminated-water or shit-smelling-water certainly won't fit my standards. So vote for me. Thank you.