Crypto Closes Popular Texas Lake For Ten Days
Burger's Lake, a popular waterhole in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, was set to re-opened today after being closed since July 16 to clean up Cryptosporidium contamination.
According to the Fort Worth Star Telegram:
According to the Fort Worth Star Telegram:
Workers at the popular swimming hole have completed the hyperchlorinationprocess recommended by health officials, a park worker said. Hyperchlorination involves "shocking" the water with a concentrated dose of chlorine.
Health officials were expected to start testing the water at 6 a.m., according to a text message from owner Licurgus Mahan.
Tarrant County has 20 confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis, the newspaper says. Symptoms include diarrhea and nausea. Go here for more.If needed, fresh water will continue to be added until the chlorine level is safe for swimming, he said.
Is superchlorination really expected to remove crypto? Firstly it won't remove it and secondly unless very specialised techniques are used even if the chlorine had any effect (unlikely) then regular tests won't distinguish between live or dead oocysts
My son visited Burgers Lake on Aug 12, 2008. He has had diarrhea and nausea for (3) weeks. He was hospitalized on Thursday, Sept 18 were he was dainosed have having been contaminated with Crypto. He is being released today (Sept 23)from Mansfield Methodist.
The date on this article made it seem that Burgers Lake was safe by the time he visited it but it was not and may not be still. I recommend that the city do continual testing throughout the swim seaons.
Sorry to hear that Mr Knowles' son got sick. Crypto doesn't disappear within a few days. It can survive and remain infectious in water for months.