It was an explosive time for Milwaukee - no pun intended.

You could also say it was "scary," "uncomfortable" and even "deadly" for some residents. Twenty years ago this week, city officials determined the cause of a sweeping epidemic of watery diarrhea and other illnesses could be traced to a elusive parasite in the drinking water.

The proper name of the parasite was Cryptosporidium; back then, just like now, most folks just called it "crypto." As in: "I got a touch of the crypto today!"

Twenty years ago this month, thousands of Milwaukeeans started getting sick without any explanation from health officials who were growing alarmed. By the time the invisible bug had been discovered and public health officials felt comfortable to recommend widespread boiling of drinking water to protect most of the public, there were already lots of looming consequences for more vulnerable members of the community. 

People with existing conditions and compromised immunity, like those who suffered from AIDS, were of particular concern, as well as children.

Milwaukee had its own "Contagion" moment in April of 1993 when then-Mayor John Norquist stood in front of news media to announce the boiling water advisory. When he talked about being convinced it was necessary only after asking the city's top health official at the time if the man would drink the water himself and hearing a no, that made most people in town understand for the first time what they had been dealing with for days.

There were lots of not-so-fond memories of the crypto scare on social media over the weekend in light of the 20th anniversary. Some folks seemed shocked it happened so long ago; others who were too young to have remembered received a good local history lesson.

Many people just remembered the fear of the sickness: "I remembered it," said one woman. "We were living in our first house. Even boiled the dog's water."

Another Milwaukeean chimed in: "I was living in Bay View at the time and I was sick and miserable for days."

This Milwaukee man talked about one of the very real by-products of Milwaukeee's crypto water scare. The incident shook much public confidence in what came out of the tap or bubbler for the first time in their lives. "Yep, I don't think I've had tap water since then," he said.

I was living in Milwaukee at the time so the recollection of how the city responded to what could have been a catastrophe without quick leadership serves as an example of why we need efficient government in a crisis. The aftermath of the crypto scare tested then-Mayor Norquist and his health department with difficult circumstances at a time when citizens needed them most.

Lucky for us, they passed the test.

The consequences of the crypto scare had a human cost; about 69 deaths were reported in or near Milwaukee.  But it goes without saying how much more tragic things could have been without government that responded to an emergency on behalf of the public in an extremely effective way.

Fortunately, I didn't get sick myself; I had been off tap water for years at the time. But many of the people who recalled the crypto scare told me they also escaped any ill effects and attributed it to another Milwaukee tradition.

"Hard liquor killed the bug!" was what more than a few folks suggested.

I'm not sure that's accurate. I do know these days some people rank Milwaukee's drinking water among the best in the nation.  Considering what happened 20 years ago, that's a testament to not letting an invisible little bug get you down.