Residents of the Town of Espanola who consumed water from the Espanola drinking water system between 10:15 pm on January 31st and 8:30 am on February 1st 2023 are being advised to monitor themselves for gastrointestinal symptoms due to a potential exposure to Cryptosporidiosis (CRYPT-toe-spore-dee-ow-sus), caused by a parasite.
Burgess Hawkins, a manager with Public Health Sudbury & Districts says they are issuing the warning out of an abundance of caution.
He says a mechanical issue with the coagulant feed at the Espanola Water Treatment Plant resulted in potentially improperly treated water entering the distribution system.
He emphasizes the issue at the plant has been resolved and the risk is very low, but residents should monitor for symptoms over the next 12 days, and as an added precaution, flush their water lines.
Coagulants bind to small particles in raw water to increase their physical size, allowing them to be filtered out before entering the treated drinking water supply. Effective filtration of drinking water is necessary to ensure the removal of parasites, particularly Cryptosporidium from the raw water. Symptoms of Cryptosporidiosis include:
- diarrhea (often profuse and watery)
- abdominal cramps
- anorexia
- fever
- nausea
- general malaise
- vomiting
Anyone experiencing one or more of these symptoms in the next 12 days should consult a health care provider and notify them of their potential exposure. For more information Cryptosporidium, please visit our website at phsd.ca or call Public Health Sudbury & Districts at 705.522.9200, ext. 464 (toll-free 1.866.522.9200).