The Importance Of Frequently Jiggling Ones Handle

It's a true, small town mystery. One and a half million gallons of town water is missing, and no one knows where it has gone to.

No worries, though, mate. The town just billed the owner of the closed restaurant that the water seemed to enter, and never came out of. The Orchards Restaurant ,owned by the Publick House and located on Haynes Street behind the Center School, has been closed for a few years, however the meter says 1.5 million gallons of water was used this fall by the closed facility.

Hmmm.

Somethings screwy.

For one thing how does one loose 1.5 million gallons of water into a closed building. The town says there could have been a running toilet that sucked off the water in the closed building.

Seems far fetched, but not impossible. A huge toilet could do it. Really huge.

What seems even stranger is that the Publick House paid the bill. They paid the bill for 1.5 million gallons of water usage for a building that has not been open in years. There has been no uptick in usage before the fall, or since.

If I was presented a bill for a ludicrous amount of money, for something I know I did not, and could not have used, I would argue the point, and ask for specific proof that I used the product and owed the money. Besides what the meter was saying, some forensic hydrology would be needed as well.

Seems fairly simple to me, but to pay the amount, and then argue the point? I don't know. Seems that those in the know know exactly what is afoot, and it is probably less than a true mystery than we are being led to believe.

Maybe the toilet was left open, and it did flush away $16K in water. Maybe the Publick House just screwed up.

Could happen.

Or, maybe, the town's meter isn't as accurate as has been reported.

Whatever, or whoever, is to blame for the "missing 1.5 million gallons" of water it won't ever be determined. Too embarrassing for either party since the "mystery" was released to the newspaper. I figure that since the bill was paid, it is known what happened, but let's make it look like it is a conundrum so we don't get blamed, or look too foolish.

Just being human.

In the meantime, since the DPW isn't accepting blame, and has stood by its meter, and the Publick House is in denial, yet still paid for the water. It gives the rest of us little hope if something similar was ever to happen to us.

In the meantime it's time to fix that constantly running toilet, otherwise, here in Sturbridge, you could flush your savings right down the drain.