Geese poop a lot
The parents of my high school girlfriend had a cottage in Barry’s Bay, Ontario. Lovely place, including memories of dive-bombing geese and the darkest night skies ever.
Nearby Pembroke, Ontario, also has a problem with geese – specifically their poop -- like many other communities.
The Daily Observer reports that Pembroke’s Riverside Beach was closed last month due to high E. coli levels, primarily from geese poop.
Deputy Mayor Les Scott said,
"This matter has gotten to the point where this animal is contributing negatively to the health and safety of our citizens.”
What annoys him is if the city is found to be the cause of elevated E. coli, the province would be on them in a minute. When it is geese, nothing happens.
Memories of Walkerton: Drinking water in Scotland wells sickens 15 with E. coli O157
Up to 15 people – including children – were this afternoon being treated for E.coli after an outbreak of the bug near Aberdeen.
Seven cases have already been confirmed with a further eight people showing symptoms.
Public health chiefs believe the source is a shared private water supply to eight homes in South Auchinclech, near Westhill.
Aberdeen-based Prof Hugh Pennington, said the source of the contamination was likely to be cattle manure, adding,
“There is quite a strong possibility it got washed into the water supply by heavy rain. The water purification system probably got overwhelmed. … Once somebody’s been affected, we’ve just got to keep our finger crossed.”
Bunny blamed for UK cryptosporidium alert
Experts investigating the contamination of Northampton's water supply with cryptosporidium have discovered the root of the problem - a small rabbit that found its way into a tank.
Just a harmless little bunny rabbit, like in Monty Python and the Holy Grail (right).
A spokesman for Anglian Water said,
"Following extensive investigations, we can now confirm that the source of the cryptosporidium in the water has been linked to a small rabbit, which gained access to the treatment process via a remote ancillary tank shortly before cryptosporidia were detected. More scientific work will be undertaken to understand the unusual type of cryptosporidium found in this case."
Homewoners could be set for a cash rebate of up to £30 to compensate for the loss of water, with residents forced to endure days of having to boil water for drinking and cooking.
Just a harmless little bunny rabbit, like in Monty Python and the Holy Grail (right).A spokesman for Anglian Water said,
"Following extensive investigations, we can now confirm that the source of the cryptosporidium in the water has been linked to a small rabbit, which gained access to the treatment process via a remote ancillary tank shortly before cryptosporidia were detected. More scientific work will be undertaken to understand the unusual type of cryptosporidium found in this case."
Homewoners could be set for a cash rebate of up to £30 to compensate for the loss of water, with residents forced to endure days of having to boil water for drinking and cooking.
Parasites found in Alamosa, Colorado water
After three weeks of a boil-water advisory, the 8,500 residents were hoping for the all-clear today, so they could have a shower, brush their teeth, and maybe even a glass of water without hauling 5-gallon carboys of water around the house.
Oh-oh.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, called in to help with the outbreak of Salmonellas that has so far sickened 389, found two different parasites -- giardia and cryptosporidium -- present in the water system before it was flushed with high doses of chlorine last week.
The city remains on a "boil order" requiring residents to boil water before drinking it or using it for cooking.
A thorough investigation into the intricacies of a municipal water supply becoming contaminated can be found in the Walkerton Commission of Inquiry, held after E. coli O157:H7 got into the water supply of Walkerton, Ontario in 2000, sickening half the town of 5,000 and killing seven.
Oh-oh.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, called in to help with the outbreak of Salmonellas that has so far sickened 389, found two different parasites -- giardia and cryptosporidium -- present in the water system before it was flushed with high doses of chlorine last week.The city remains on a "boil order" requiring residents to boil water before drinking it or using it for cooking.
A thorough investigation into the intricacies of a municipal water supply becoming contaminated can be found in the Walkerton Commission of Inquiry, held after E. coli O157:H7 got into the water supply of Walkerton, Ontario in 2000, sickening half the town of 5,000 and killing seven.
Salmonella in Colorado water supply: Doug Powell speaks with Mudflap
The 8,500 citizens of Alamosa, Colorado, are frustrated.
Salmonella has contaminated the city's water supply, sickening more than 200 people since last week. For everyone else, the inconveniences are immense.
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.
John Pape, a state epidemiologist, said some residents may have continued to drink tap water after the warnings, adding,
"Just because the government tells you not to do something doesn't mean you're not going to do it."
I got a chance to talk about the outbreak this morning on Denver's #1 for Country, KYGO, with morning show hosts Kelly, Mudflap and JoJo (right, exactly as shown). They found me via barfblog.com.
I said the flushing of the water system was a good idea, but the source of the original contamination needed to be identified so it could be prevented in the future. I also mentioned that the 5,000-strong community of south Galway, Ireland, has been under a boil-water advisory for the past five months after high incidences of Clostridium perfringens were detected in the Clarinbridge public water supply. In follow-up tests, trace levels of cryptosporidium were detected. There have been no reported cases of cryptosporidiosis but the boil-water notice has remained in place ever since.
A thorough investigation into the intricacies of a munincipal water supply becoming contaminated can be found in the Walkerton Commission of Inquiry, held after E. coli O157:H7 got into the water supply of Walkerton, Ontario in 2000, sickening half the town of 5,000 and killing seven.
Salmonella has contaminated the city's water supply, sickening more than 200 people since last week. For everyone else, the inconveniences are immense.
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.
John Pape, a state epidemiologist, said some residents may have continued to drink tap water after the warnings, adding, "Just because the government tells you not to do something doesn't mean you're not going to do it."
I got a chance to talk about the outbreak this morning on Denver's #1 for Country, KYGO, with morning show hosts Kelly, Mudflap and JoJo (right, exactly as shown). They found me via barfblog.com.
I said the flushing of the water system was a good idea, but the source of the original contamination needed to be identified so it could be prevented in the future. I also mentioned that the 5,000-strong community of south Galway, Ireland, has been under a boil-water advisory for the past five months after high incidences of Clostridium perfringens were detected in the Clarinbridge public water supply. In follow-up tests, trace levels of cryptosporidium were detected. There have been no reported cases of cryptosporidiosis but the boil-water notice has remained in place ever since.
A thorough investigation into the intricacies of a munincipal water supply becoming contaminated can be found in the Walkerton Commission of Inquiry, held after E. coli O157:H7 got into the water supply of Walkerton, Ontario in 2000, sickening half the town of 5,000 and killing seven.
Washing your hands, California style
Doug and I are in L.A. for a few days and I’ve appreciated the prominent handwashing signs in public and private lavatories. This one comes from the outdoor Public Restroom off the beach at the famous Gladstone’s of Malibu seafood restaurant. I read the sign when I walked into the bathroom, but when I tried to wash my hands, the water came out of the faucet in a tiny trickle. The water pressure in their indoor/private facility was slightly better but still conservative. It’s impressive to have signage that indicates all the different times when one should wash her hands, but if the facilities are lacking, there isn’t much point.
The second sign, found today at a beach café in Long Beach, CA was also interesting because the Spanish appears larger than the English part. I also like the idea that I’m breaking state law if I do not wash my damn hands before returning to work.
The second sign, found today at a beach café in Long Beach, CA was also interesting because the Spanish appears larger than the English part. I also like the idea that I’m breaking state law if I do not wash my damn hands before returning to work.
"I wouldn't be happy showering under a rat"
That from the landlord of a Palmerston North, New Zealand flat, who apparently let her tenants shower with water from a heater containing a dead rat.
The Manawatu Standard reports that the two flatmates are nervously awaiting the results of blood tests after they learnt the "smelly water" they had been drinking and showering in came from a tank housing a badly decomposed rat.
Having suffered bouts of diarrhoea and vomiting before becoming aware of the corpse, they still have to shower at their parents' homes and clean cooking utensils on the front lawn.
The saga began in early November when a 19-year-old resident noticed the water was "smelly" and she began feeling ill.
Her mother, worried sewerage had seeped into the water pipes, contacted the council, which in turn flushed the home's pipes.
Several weeks later the shower blocked up, which eventually led to a plumber finding what was left of the large rat.
Rather than remove it, he gave instructions not to use any water until someone else did the dirty work.
The landlord said, "I can't believe they didn't ring me to say it was still there. I thought it was gone. Oh, I just feel ill. I have barely slept thinking about rats in tanks. It's just a dreadful situation, but I thought the plumber or sanitisers had dealt with it."
The Manawatu Standard reports that the two flatmates are nervously awaiting the results of blood tests after they learnt the "smelly water" they had been drinking and showering in came from a tank housing a badly decomposed rat.
Having suffered bouts of diarrhoea and vomiting before becoming aware of the corpse, they still have to shower at their parents' homes and clean cooking utensils on the front lawn.
The saga began in early November when a 19-year-old resident noticed the water was "smelly" and she began feeling ill.Her mother, worried sewerage had seeped into the water pipes, contacted the council, which in turn flushed the home's pipes.
Several weeks later the shower blocked up, which eventually led to a plumber finding what was left of the large rat.
Rather than remove it, he gave instructions not to use any water until someone else did the dirty work.
The landlord said, "I can't believe they didn't ring me to say it was still there. I thought it was gone. Oh, I just feel ill. I have barely slept thinking about rats in tanks. It's just a dreadful situation, but I thought the plumber or sanitisers had dealt with it."
Batman hit by Hong Kong pollution
Producers shooting the new Batman movie have, reports The West Australian, been forced to cut one scene involving the caped crusader - played by Christian Bale - jumping out of a plane into Hong Kong's famed Victoria Harbour.The South China Morning Post was cited as saying producers felt the poor water quality was just too dangerous for the action hero when shooting for part of the film takes place there in the coming week.
A source was quoted as saying, “There was supposed to be a scene where Batman jumps out of the back of a Hercules C-130 and into Victoria Harbour. The plan was for Batman to be seen jumping into the water and then climbing up some bamboo, or something similar, onto a pier. But when they checked a water sample, they found all sorts of things, salmonella and tuberculosis, so it was cancelled. Now the action will cut to inside a building."
A spokeswoman for Hong Kong’s Environmental Protection Department was cited as admitting that harbor water was not suitable for swimming due to untreated sewage.
Saving the world one sucker at a time
The Rhode Island Oyster Gardening for Restoration and Enhancement program at Roger Williams University is putting oysters in the state's waterways to filter out pollution and rev up the ecosystem.Each little sucker takes in up to 50 gallons of water in a day, clearing out pollutants, plankton, and silt so that the water is nice and clean for the aquatic plants below. These plants, along with tiny fish that like to live in the oyster beds, attract winter flounder and lobster can be harvested for us to eat. The area's aquaculture producers are happy about that one.
The oysters also clean up after crop fertilizers. Nitrogen from agricultural runoff is sucked up and oxygen abounds for our newfound aquaculture.
Clean water, more food, and a pick-up system for ag chemicals. I, for one, am impressed. All hail the mighty oyster: saving the world one sucker at a time.
Worms in water is just an aesthetic issue
Scottish residents are not happy after being told by water chiefs that worms in the water supply are merely an "aesthetic issue."Customers complained to Scottish Water after they found tiny bloodworms - midge larvae - coming out of their taps. The story says that about 30 householders in Oban are thought to have discovered the 6mm worms when pouring a glass of water.
Jason Rose, a Scottish Water spokesman, apologised for the problem, saying it was an "aesthetic issue" and there was no risk to health.
A resident, who asked not to be named, was quoted as saying,
"The worms may not be dangerous, but they certainly aren't pleasant. Nobody is going to want to drink, cook or clean with water that is infested with midge larvae. To imply it's only an 'aesthetic issue' is just bloody cheek."
Chicken in the coal mine
One Chinese family on the southern island province of Hainan decided to test a bottle of water on a chicken to see what would happen.The Beijing News, citing a report in a local paper, said, "The result was the chicken died within a minute," and showed a picture of a man holding a plastic bottle squatting over the crumpled body of the bird.
The story says that barely a day goes by without some new scandal over a made-in-China product, be it toys, toothpaste or fish, which has raised safety concerns in major export markets around the world.
Just keep your mouth shut and no one will get hurt
As cases of cryptosporidium continue to crop up across the U.S. Midwest, at least two separate outbreaks appear to be emerging in Kansas, with at lease seven sick in Sedgwick County and additional cases reported in Johnson County.Kansas state epidemiologist Gail Hansen told The Witchita Eagle that people don't have to quit swimming this weekend, adding,
"Basically, if you're in a pool, keep your mouth shut. Because that's really the only way you'll get it."
Background information is available at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control Healthy Swimming website.
Toilet-to-tap
Los Angeles, the next stop-over on my journey, needs more water. Marc B. Haefele and Anna Sklar wrote in an op-ed Sunday that Los Angeles is revisiting the East Valley Water Reclamation Project, built in the 1990s at a cost of $55 million, used for a few days then mothballed seven years ago.The story explains that sewage was treated at the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant in Van Nuys and then pumped to spreading fields near Hansen Dam, where, over five years, it would filter through sandy soil and gravel into an underground reservoir.
"Modern water-purification technology is considered totally reliable. It uses micro-filtration and reverse osmosis, which pumps water through permeable membranes, and ultraviolet light to remove all contaminants. The "yuck factor" is now completely imaginary. ...
"But what should have been an engineering triumph soon became a PR disaster."
The authors note that Orange County, California, just opened its own half-billion-dollar reclamation program -- almost four times the size of the East Valley project -- with minimal public opposition. The secret of this success? Transparency.
Ron Wildermuth, district communications director, for the Orange County Water District, was quoted as saying,
"We started telling people from the start that we're purifying sewage water."
Purifying poop.
Earlier this month, Weekend Australian published a feature noting that Australian health and science authorities have issued a draft of the world's first safety guidelines on recycling sewage for human consumption. Recycling has been taking place in some areas of the world for decades, but national guidelines have never been created in any of the countries doing so.
"Details of the draft guidelines, released recently, are being seized on by both water experts and anti-recycling campaigners as fodder for their causes. On the "pro" side, the draft guidelines state that it is possible to safely recycle sewage for drinking purposes, as long as strict treatment and management processes are followed.
"But the guidelines set the bar so high that they are likely to stop small, parched towns from taking up the controversial option -- an assessment anti-recyclers seeing as a win."
Stop pooping in the water
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Local health departments in Utah report that more than 150 cases of cryptosporidium have been, um, reported.The Utah Department of Health warns that the number of people reporting cases of severe diarrhea continues to rise, and exposure will likely not decline until people who are sick - or who have recently been sick - avoid pools and recreational waters
For more information about cryptosporidium, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Utah Department of Health's Web site.
Don't drink pool poop
There have been numerous outbreaks involving the parasite cryptosporidium linked to swimming pools across the U.S. this year.Yesterday, Rich Lakin of the Utah Department of Health said that 70 cases have been reported this year in Utah, Salt Lake and Davis Counties, up from the annual average of 40. As well, 3 confirmed cases in Mason City, Iowa led to the closure of two pools.
Larkin was cited as saying the parasite enters pool water through diaper-wearing children, swimmers who do not wash their hands after going to the bathroom and swimmers who do not shower before swimming in public pools. The parasite survives in the water and splashes of water are then ingested by the victims. People who become sick with the parasite remain contagious as long as two weeks after their symptoms disappear, so they need to stay out of public pools even after they feel better.
ABC4 in Utah reported that a quick observation of the Seven Canyons Fountain; a popular water play area for children in Salt Lake City's Liberty Park revealed a number of children playing in the water while wearing nothing but diapers. Their parents sat next to signs warning pool users not to allow children in diapers into the water. It is this kind of behavior that invites the spread of Cryptosporidium.
Lakin was further quoted as saying, "People need to step up and realize if they do have watery diarrhea they need to stay out of the pools and not spread this any further. Again, it is chlorine resistant and it's a very difficult disease to kill."
