In salmonella-stricken Alamosa, every tap could spill out poison

Randy Wilhelm, along with the 10,000 or so other residents of this isolated agricultural crossroads, is caught in a hygiene dilemma.

Dirty dishes are piling up in his apartment. He dares take only the briefest of showers, and he has sprouted an unkempt goatee because he hasn't shaved for a week. And, starting today, he can't use municipal water for any purpose other than to flush his toilet. No laundry. No dishes. No coffee.

"How do you not shower?" said Wilhelm, 40. "I can't wash my dishes. My house stinks."

Salmonella has contaminated the city's water supply, sickening more than 200 people since last week. For everyone else, the inconveniences are immense.

Bottled water is scarce, with most residents relying on public distribution centers. Businesses have closed. Today the city will begin flushing its pipes with chlorine, making it risky for anyone to come in contact with tap water. Even boiled water will not be safe.

Officials say it could be several weeks before the system is cleaned out.

How the water source became contaminated is unclear.

Alamosa -- in the heart of the vast San Luis Valley, about 200 miles southwest of Denver -- draws its water from deep wells that tap the aquifer directly. Because the drinking water comes straight from the ground, it is not chemically treated.

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