The "new" gold

I know that they tell you to have some cash in your emergency kit "just in case," but I think Westerners know what is even more important - water.

You couldn't go anywhere a couple of summers ago when drought was all over the news here in Colorado.

This time, there is a salmonella outbreak in the San Luis Valley city of Alamosa. Best evidence so far shows a problem with a municipal water system.

Everyone is scrambling to get bottled water to them. The traffic on those two-lane roads is sure to be heavy with many semis pulling in to town.

When they get enough bottled water, city officials will shut down the water system completely by flushing it out and using chemicals, which generally isn't needed in that part of the state.

When the clean-out begins, the advisory will be, "Do not use tap water for any purpose except flushing the toilet."

Think about that - the logistics of feeding and caring for a family seem overwhelming in this situation. People are being advised to use paper plates and disposable utensils. They have to buy ice. Some restaurants are closing, just to be sure. Others may close, when they discover how impossible it will be to operate safely under these conditions.

So if this doesn't make you go out and buy some more water "just in case," nothing will.

There's more information online at www.cdphe.state.co.us/epr/alamosa.html.