"We got out and went over to the community water pump. This was the only place you could get runing water in town, outside of the creek, and the sawmill ran dust off in that, and no telling what else. There wer also a number of outhouses along the edge of the creek, and though there were many who believed long as water moved the mess along it was all right to drink. Daddy was suspicious of such and warned me to not drink out of the creek."
from "The Bottoms" by Lansdale.
I remember canoeing down Chunky River in Lauderdale County years ago. The creek looked so clean and clear, then I saw someone's sewage pipe sticking out of the bank. I tried to not tip over!
