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*Government recommends UV systems
Nova Scotia drinking water standard battles parasite
Thu. Dec 31/09 3:27AM
Nova, Scotia (CBC)- The Nova Scotia government is asking municipalities to make sure their drinking water is free of a harmful micro-organism, a parasite called Cryptosporidium. The proposed guidelines come in an update of municipal drinking water standards.
Cryptosporidium can cause severe headaches and diarrhea and can't be eliminated by chlorinating the water supply. The federal and provincial governments are telling municipalities to make sure they use more effective and expensive treatments including ozone, ultraviolet rays or chlorine dioxide.
The changes to Nova Scotia's treatment standards for municipal drinking water systems come after many municipalities in the province have just spent millions on upgrades to their water systems.
Virus may incubate in icy lakes: researchers
*Norwalk affects millions annually
Tom Blackwell, National Post. Published: Monday, February 22, 2010.
Norwalk virus, a gut-wrenching fixture of Canadian winters whose source and seasonal nature have long been a mystery, may originate in drinking water drawn from lakes whose cool winter temperatures keep the microbe nicely preserved, suggests a new study.
University of Toronto researchers, comparing Norwalk outbreaks to river water flow and lake temperatures, theorize that a near-endless "feedback loop" sends the virus from human waste to surface waters, then to water treatment plants that are unable to eliminate the bug, and finally back into household faucets.
The theory, if proven, raises the question of whether tap water should be treated with ultraviolet exposure, virtually the only way to kill the hardy viruses, the researchers say.
Nova Scotia drinking water standard battles parasite
Thu. Dec 31/09 3:27AM
Nova, Scotia (CBC)- The Nova Scotia government is asking municipalities to make sure their drinking water is free of a harmful micro-organism, a parasite called Cryptosporidium. The proposed guidelines come in an update of municipal drinking water standards.
Cryptosporidium can cause severe headaches and diarrhea and can't be eliminated by chlorinating the water supply. The federal and provincial governments are telling municipalities to make sure they use more effective and expensive treatments including ozone, ultraviolet rays or chlorine dioxide.
The changes to Nova Scotia's treatment standards for municipal drinking water systems come after many municipalities in the province have just spent millions on upgrades to their water systems.
Virus may incubate in icy lakes: researchers
*Norwalk affects millions annually
Tom Blackwell, National Post. Published: Monday, February 22, 2010.
Norwalk virus, a gut-wrenching fixture of Canadian winters whose source and seasonal nature have long been a mystery, may originate in drinking water drawn from lakes whose cool winter temperatures keep the microbe nicely preserved, suggests a new study.
University of Toronto researchers, comparing Norwalk outbreaks to river water flow and lake temperatures, theorize that a near-endless "feedback loop" sends the virus from human waste to surface waters, then to water treatment plants that are unable to eliminate the bug, and finally back into household faucets.
The theory, if proven, raises the question of whether tap water should be treated with ultraviolet exposure, virtually the only way to kill the hardy viruses, the researchers say.
