Frozen Tropics reports that the H Street Festival almost didn't happen. Why? Because of one NIMBY who thought the festival permits might not have been in total compliance. The blogger calls out the NIMBY by name:

"For a few hours there it actually looked like Bobby Pittman (a well known local gadfly) might be able to stop the Festival through last minute bureaucratic tie ups (NB, [nothing] is wrong with checking signatures, but this was a dirty Bobby move at the last minute). In the end Bobby did not get his way, and the Mayor's office allowed the Festival to proceed. But I'd like to send out a personal Evil Eye to Bobby on this one.  If you really hate seeing all this great stuff on H Street, maybe you should just move dude. Bobby, you have gone on some Don Quixotesque crusade of harassing local businesses (including, but not even close to limited to: Rock and Roll Hotel, the Pug, and the Atlas Performing Arts Center [!]). Aside from the one time I saw you planting flowers on H Street, acting as the PSA 102 Coordinator, and a few other very isolated incidents, I've yet to see you do anything to positively contribute to life on the H Street Corridor, or on Linden. It's one thing to want the laws enforced, and to want good neighbors (both admirable qualities and pursuits). But what you are doing is unacceptable in my opinion, and I hope that others who agree will tell you so to your face. I certainly intend to do so the next time I see you. Until then, Evil Eye to you Pittman."

Read More "Our Morning Roundup: NIMBYS Almost Ruin Everything" »

Yesterday's massive water main break in Adams Morgan stressed out Monique Lecomte and Joseph Currie. They reside at 1748 V Street NW. Today, they are dealing with contractors assessing the damage to their basement dining room and kitchen. Industrial dehumidifiers are at full blast. A contractor rips at the bottom of the walls in the dining room. But perhaps nothing hurt Currie more than what the Washington Post did to him with its story on the great flood of '09. There are some things more painful than wall mold.

Read More "WaPo All Wet On Florida Ave. Flood Coverage" »

A father of twin boys filed a class-action lawsuit in D.C. Superior Court against WASA over the lead warning foul up, the Washington Post is reporting. John Parkhurst's two boys, the Post writes, "now 8, were toddlers when lead spiked to dangerous levels in the city's drinking water from 2001 to 2004. They now have learning and behavior problems that require therapy and medication that the lawsuit said costs between $30,000 and $40,000 a year." The Post had the scoop last week on the water issue.

Read More "First Lawsuit Filed Over Lead Warnings" »

Earlier this morning, we wrote up the massive water main break on River Road that left roughly a dozen people in need of rescue. The Post has updated its story with two big points of news.

1. The problems on River Road appear to be on-going problems. There's still water. Maybe lots of it. And Officials still are only guessing at what caused the break. It was probably the extreme cold:

"River Road was closed to traffic between Seven Locks Road and Bradley Boulevard. Water was still covering the street as of 10:45 a.m., with some of it flowing off the road and one point and into a nearby creek, It was not immediately clear how the massive quantity of water would affect that woods and structures on either side of the roadway.

There was no immediate information on why the large pipe might have ruptured, but age and extreme weather are often factors in such breaks."

2. The water main break could have been avoided. Officials, the Post reports, had warned for years that many of the pipes were more than decades old and had been worn away by "acidic soil" and "ground water." The Post writes:

"In 2007, the system reported a record 2,129 pipe breaks, which generally result in cut-offs in service and road flooding.

The sanitary commission on average replaces about 25 miles of pipe a year. But last February, the representatives from Montgomery and Prince George's County who make up the sanitary commission opted not to assess an additional fee of $20 per month that had been proposed to fund a more widespread pipe replacement."

1. Isn't Anyone Bothered by the Lara Logan Sex Scandal Coverage? by Angela Valdez

2. WaPo Weighs New Politics Site by Erik Wemple

3. Blogger Shot in Adams Morgan by Angela Valdez

4. Bench Warrants Issued For Absent Jurors by Jason Cherkis

5. 311 Gets Sassy by Amanda Hess

6. Update: SIX Flagging by Dave McKenna

7. How's the Water in Washington? by Brianne Downing

8. Brian Beutler Update by Angela Valdez

9. Weekend Would-Be Jumper on the Ellington Bridge by Jule Banville

10. Bus Operator Lobbies Against SW Depot by Erik Wemple

Photo of D.C.'s frequent-bead-thrower mayor by wharman

I recently moved to the District from the other Washington (as in, I flew over Monday night), and while chatting up the sublettor as he packed the last of his things, he mentioned that he was taking his Brita filter with him. I haven't gotten a chance to talk to my new roommate about this situation, but I'm concerned.

I never felt comfortable drinking water straight from the tap in my house in Seattle. Early on in my two-year stay in that house off campus, I filled a glass from the kitchen faucet and was dismayed and a bit disgusted to find swirling gray water almost touching my lips. From then on, I used botted water, even to cook.

My parents' house in eastern Washington (the state) has great water, but I think that's because we have well water.

When I visited friends in New Jersey and New York City earlier this year, I heard all about how great tap water is in the city, and yes, I definitely agree. The water in NYC is pretty darn swell. NYC is so big and still has awesome water, it would be logical to thing that D.C. water filtration systems would be of high quality as well.

What do you think? Should I buy a water filter on my way home from work tonight? Is tap water in D.C. rivaling NYC in water taste, purity and clarity? Are Brita filters so common in the District that it's unheard of to drink straight from the tap? Does everyone know something that I, mere "newbie," haven't discovered yet? Or are filters for the health-conscious Seattleites and other West-Coasters who move east and fear for the worst?