Future historians:

[conuly]

"People of the 20th and 21st centuries only drank soda and beer, because they knew that water was unsafe and had no way to make it safe."

Awful thing to happen to that poor kid and his family, though.

Comments

[acelightning]

My observation is that people drink coffee, beer and soda - at least brewing coffee sterilizes the water. The prevailing wisdom is that if you use a neti pot, you should either boil the water and let it cool to room temperature before you pour it up your nose, or else you should buy distilled water and warm it gently. I used to just use pleasantly warm water from the tap, but someone in Louisiana got the brain-eating amoeba that way. But just drinking the water won't infect your brain - the amoeba-infested water has to go up your nose, either by doing silly things with a garden hose, or from a neti pot.