The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recently released a report regarding five 2006 laboratory-confirmed outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis, a gastrointestinal illness that causes severe diarrhea. The five outbreaks occurred in Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, South Carolina and Wyoming. Consequently, the CDC has suggested new recommendations for healthy swimming.

Cryptosporidium is one of the leading causes of gastroenteritis outbreaks associated with treated recreational water venues. Public pools and water recreation accounted for approximately 60% of reported outbreaks from 1995-2004, according to the CDC. Since cryptosporidium is resistant to chlorine disinfection, the CDC recommends that treatment strategies for recreational water facilities need to be improved. The report notes that supplementary disinfection known to inactivate Cryptosporidium, such as ultraviolet radiation or ozone systems, can add an additional level of protection for swimmers by decreasing the length of time that the pathogens can be transmitted.

The CDC however, also stressed that healthy swimming behaviors can serve as a catalyst to reducing outbreaks. The report suggested that public education efforts should adopt messages articulated by the Water and Quality Health Council, which state the following:

• Do refrain from swimming while suffering from diarrhea
• Do not swallow pool water
• Do practice good hygiene
• Do report any contamination

Finally, in the event of an outbreak, public officials must work to decrease the possibility of communitywide transmission by communicating accurate and timely information.

To read the entire report, please visit:
Cryptosporidiosis Outbreaks Associated with Recreational Water Use

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum has filed a lawsuit against Avian Environmental Services for using deceptive tactics to sell water systems in three counties. The company allegedly made false statements regarding poor water quality in the state's Panhandle area while also performing deceptive water tests to further efforts related to a company-sponsored public awareness campaign. Independent tests showed no problems with water quality.

In addition, the company used false quotes from experts concerning chlorine levels in the water and distributed phony information. According to the lawsuit, Avian Environmental Services presented demonstrations to consumers purporting to show that chlorine is absorbed by the skin, which is untrue. Avian continued to deceive consumers by promoting a non-existent partnership with Emerald Coast Utilities Authority, the lawsuit stated. Emerald Coast, also named in the complaint, is the local governmental body in charge of the water systems where the products were sold.

The charges stem from an investigation that began in 2005. Under Florida's Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act, fines could range from $10,000 to $15,000 per violation. The district attorney is also looking to bar any future sales from the company.

For more information, please read:
State Sues Local Business Claiming It Scammed Customers

A program to bring water purification products to millions of children has won the American Express Members Project contest. "Children's Safe Drinking Water," submitted by Dr. Gregory Allgood, beat out more than 7,000 total project entries in online voting by American Express card members. Allgood, a Proctor & Gamble scientist, hopes the award will help provide 2 billion gallons of drinking water across the world.

UNICEF, the implementing partner chosen by American Express, will receive a $2 million grant to use towards efforts to reduce the 4,000 daily deaths of children from unsafe water. The organization was chosen because of their expertise in providing innovative, sustainable and life saving water and sanitation solutions for children and families in over 90 countries.

"Water sanitation is a huge problem that cannot be addressed through any one approach," Allgood said. "For only two cents a day-two pennies-we can provide safe drinking water to a child in the developing world for a day." The methods of the program range from water pumps to purification packets that combine chlorine and other treatment chemicals to make contaminated water safe for household use.

For more information, please visit:
American Express Members Project

Florida water officials are looking to seawater to help supply drinking water in the face of the one of the most severe droughts in South Florida's history. Regional water managers have begun evaluating a pilot desalination program in Ft. Lauderdale that would tap into the state's vast amount of available ocean water to supply residents with bottled drinking water.

Desalination is an essential component of Florida's future water supply, according to Florida officials. Plants have been proposed for Ft. Myers, Port Everglades and Ft. Lauderdale, yet construction costs and delays have slowed developments. Growing population pressures are also cited as a factor, which may begin to outweigh construction cost-related issues.

To increase awareness about the issue, water management agencies from South Florida, the Keys, and other international groups have combined to form the New Water Supply Coalition. Together they are currently lobbying Congress for legislation to help finance desalination plant construction costs. They hope to follow such countries as Israel, Australia and Saudi Arabia that are already using desalination.

For more information, please see:
Seawater offers hope in South Florida

In The News-is a bi-weekly, online service from the Water Quality & Health Council.  The publication is updated every other Friday and can be viewed by logging onto www.waterandhealth.org.  To receive the publication via e-mail, please click here and enter your e-mail address to join our mailing list.