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Causes of a Waterborne Giardiasis Outbreak
Author(s) -
Braidech Thomas E.,
Karlin Richard J.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal ‐ american water works association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.466
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1551-8833
pISSN - 0003-150X
DOI - 10.1002/j.1551-8833.1985.tb05491.x
Subject(s) - outbreak , waterborne diseases , backwashing , sanitation , environmental health , turbidity , raw water , environmental science , geography , toxicology , environmental engineering , medicine , biology , virology , ecology , engineering , mechanical engineering , inlet
In November 1981, a waterborne giardiasis outbreak occurred within the Highlands Water and Sanitation District in Colorado. Although the immediate cause of the outbreak was reduced chlorine contact time because of a pump failure, numerous design and operational deficiencies existed at the plant. Lack of chemical pretreatment, improper backwashing procedures, poor application of raw water to the filter, and failure to monitor plant conditions all contributed to the outbreak. Turbidity and bacteriological records did not indicate any problems, confirming the crucial role of proper design, installation, and operation of the multibarrier technique in preventing waterborne giardiasis outbreaks.