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Eight million gallons of water drained from reservoir after man urinates in it

Eight million gallons of water had to be drained from a reservoir in Oregon after a man urinated in it.

The operation is costing the state's taxpayers $36,000 (£22,000) and was ordered after Joshua Seater, 21, was caught on a security camera relieving himself in the pristine lake.

Health experts said the incident would not have caused any harm to people in the city of Portland, who are supplied with drinking water from the reservoir.

They said the average human bladder holds only six to eight ounces, and the urine would have been vastly diluted.

But David Shaff, an administrator at the Portland Water Bureau, defended the decision to empty the lake.

"There are people who will say it's an over reaction. I don't think so. I think what you have to deal with here is the 'yuck' factor," he said.

"I can imagine how many people would be saying 'I made orange juice with that water this morning.' "Do you want to drink pee? Most people are going to be pretty damn squeamish about that."

Mr Seater had been out drinking with friends when he decided to relieve himself in the open air reservoir at 1.30am.

He has not been arrested or charged with a crime, but may ultimately face a fine.

He apologised publicly for his behaviour, adding: "It was a stupid thing to do. I didn't know it was a water supply, I thought it was a sewage plant.

"I wouldn't mind paying for it but I don't have a job right now. I'm willing to do community service to clean up the place because I feel bad and feel pretty stupid." Sergeant Pete Simpson, of Portland Police, said: "It's really an unfortunate incident that probably could have been avoided if he had just chosen a bush."

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Did they forget that fish **** in that water???

I have to laugh every time I hear that there are lakes in Cali, Oregon, and Wash that they won't even let people swim in cause of pollution from the body.

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Originally Posted by Mark Simmons:
Did they forget that fish **** in that water???

Fish **** in it, crap in it, then die and decompose in it, birds fly overhead and crap in it, animals **** and crap in it, insects die in it, and that's only what directly goes in. Take the water table for the lake into account, and god knows what sort of **** gets in there. As a percentage of the whole body of water though, it ain't all that very much.

I have to laugh every time I hear that there are lakes in Cali, Oregon, and Wash that they won't even let people swim in cause of pollution from the body.

What, the lakes are too polluted, or they're trying to stop them getting polluted? Maybe the ppl should put on hazmat suits before they go swimming in the lakes so, make sure nothing gets in or out....

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Originally Posted by Kieran Colfer:

I have to laugh every time I hear that there are lakes in Cali, Oregon, and Wash that they won't even let people swim in cause of pollution from the body.

What, the lakes are too polluted, or they're trying to stop them getting polluted? Maybe the ppl should put on hazmat suits before they go swimming in the lakes so, make sure nothing gets in or out....

Nah, it isn't really like that.

Since the lakes are used for drinking water, they don't let people swim in them for fear of polluting the water with "biological pollution".

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Good comment from one of my friends: "Maybe they believe in homeopathy. So should they be adding or removing water to reduce the urine?"