A new generation of water filtration materials is enabling municipalities and industries in the United States and water-short countries overseas to produce safe drinking water from supplies contaminated with salts and other undesirable compounds, according to an article scheduled for the April 23 issue of Chemical & Engineering News, ACS’ weekly newsmagazine.
• Q: Over spring break, my children attended a pool party. Later, one got really sick; the doctor thought that an organism in the water caused it. I don't understand how that could happen; I could smell the chlorine before I could see the pool.
Can Action Line explain?
• A: Your child contracted what's known as an RWI, or recreational water illness. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been a marked increase in cases over the last decade. While chlorine does kill most germs, it takes several hours to reach maximum effectiveness; and some organisms, such as Cryptosporidium, or Crypto, which causes diarrhea, are resistant to it. Beyond that, if you could smell chlorine from a distance, the pool wasn't properly treated. A well-managed pool should look clear; there should be no strong smell of chlorine.
The in-ground fountains at Cupertino's Civic Center Plaza are scheduled to bubble up again after several days of routine maintenance. It is unclear why they were left off the list of seven similar fountains that Santa Clara County officials are investigating for health hazards.
Children often play in the Cupertino fountains, as the designers intended.
County environmental health officials are investigating fountains built for children that may not properly kill water-borne bacteria and parasites. Cupertino's fountains, located between City Hall and the Cupertino Library, fit the bill.
The county's investigation is prompted by cases of cryptosporidium at Plaza de Cesar Chavez in San Jose. The parasite causes nausea and diarrhea.
After a nasty parasite outbreak at the play fountain at San Jose's Plaza de Cesar Chavez sickened at least seven children last summer, the fountain remains closed at least until July, with repairs expected to cost about $600,000. And a similar fountain at McEnery Park remains off limits indefinitely because there's no money budgeted to fix it.
As Santa Clara County health officials continue to scrutinize the county's play fountains, the scope of the repairs is coming into sharp focus as summer nears and kids start eyeing their swimsuits.
"Every time I see the estimates, I need dental surgery because my jaw hits the ground," said Councilman Sam Liccardo, whose district includes both the Cesar Chavez and McEnery fountains.
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