SC - reasonably safe water at Pennsic

[Jeff Gedney]

> Don't know why you folks are panicking about the water at Pennsic, and the
> port-a-castle two step. I've been going to Pennsic since 22, and have never

The Pennsic Plague occured (and I well remember it...), at Pennsic XIII.
At that time the Chirurgeonate and the event staff were caught completely
off guard. The Chirurgeonate did a masterful job of controlling the outbreak 
to less than 10 % of the population, forming quarantined areas and setting 
aside portapotties just for the sick people. In fact they got a letter of 
commendation from the CDC for the job they did. 
It was confirmed to be a water-borne Norwalk virus, and was present in 
the water samples taken at the site.

Serious efforts were made by the Coopers as a result to upgrade the well 
and water distribution system on site, in many cases rendering entire farm 
fields unuseable for agriculture due to the presence of underground piping.
these took years to complete.
these outbreaks were regular occurences as these improvements were 
made, and Pennsic increased in size and length of time, outstripping the 
improvements capacities. 
But they were nowhere near as severs, occurring less and less as 
improvements were put into place, and the populace were more and more
aware of basic water sanitation. 
By Pennsic 22 the size of pensic had peaked at or around the present 
number of 8-10 thousand, and most of the cases were then isolated to 
more immune challenged people. That is not to say that these precautions 
should be abandoned. Far from it.  
The panics last year ( and I was a part of that ) were caused by the 
drought, as the drought casues a concentration of the nasties in the local 
water table. Pennsic Water facilities were able to handle it, specifically 
because of a new well that was much deeper (as I am led to understand). 
My exwife and many of my household are Chrurgeons, and I assure you that
these cases DID still occur, though not in outbreak severity, and were 
handled with sufficient precaution to prevent spread.
Also I personally know of at least three cases of pennsic trots which were 
not taken to Chirurgeons point but handled in the affected person's 
camp site. ( one was actually taken to a local motel to allow the use at 
need of a flush toilet, shower and clean sheets and running water. they 
were up and around in a day or so ).

Brandu