U.S. Water News Online
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- British Columbians who think they're suffering from the stomach flu or food poisoning may instead have had drinking water contaminated with parasites, the provincial health officer says.
Dr. Perry Kendall told a news conference recently that for many years, British Columbia has had the highest rate of gastrointestinal or stomach illness in Canada.
While there's no way to tell exactly what causes most of the stomach ailments, the water is the likely culprit, Kendall said in releasing his annual health report.
He also said people with diseases such as AIDS or cancer are especially at risk of contracting a waterborne illness and should boil their drinking water.
Three-quarters of the province's water comes from lakes, creeks, rivers or rainfall, sources that are susceptible to contamination because they aren't treated, Kendall said.
That means parasites such as giardia and cryptosporidium, which are resistant to traditional disinfectants such as chlorine, aren't removed.
At the latest count, British Columbia had 304 water systems on boil-water advisories, up from 220 last year, Kendall said.
Dr. Shaun Peck, deputy provincial health officer, said that compared to many other jurisdictions, British Columbia has a long history of under-treating its drinking water.
``Increasingly, we're suspicious that it may be the water,'' he said about the high rate of stomach illnesses in the province.
Kendall's report makes 32 recommendations to help improve drinking water quality over a five- to 10-year period, starting with the need for legislation.
Kendall and Peck also called for a centralized information system for monitoring and public reporting on drinking water quality.
While some parts of British Columbia are using filtration and other advanced forms of water treatment, that's an expensive option, Peck said.
However, there are ways to raise the money to improve water systems, he said.
For example, the community of Revelstoke has installed a state-of-the-art micro-filtration plant by acquiring a municipal grant for half the capital cost while residents pay for the other half through user fees.
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