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12/11/2018

Naegleria Fowleri Continues To Be a Threat To Water Systems

Naegleria fowleri made headlines in August 2013, when the death of a 4-year-old boy staying near Violet, Louisiana, was linked to the deadly amoeba. The child had been playing on a Slip ‘N’ Slide connected to the St. Bernard Parish’s water system that was later found to be contaminated with the amoeba.

According to NBC NEWS Sept. 16, 2013 –

“Deadly brain amoeba infects US tap water for the first time”

Naegleria fowleri infects people when water containing the amoeba enters the body through the nose. This typically occurs when people go swimming or diving in warm freshwater places, like lakes and rivers. The Naegleria fowleri amoeba then travels up the nose to the brain where it destroys the brain tissue. It has now attacked a potable water system in the United States. Despite the “First Time” Headline given to this recent incident by NBC NEWS, the amoeba has been seen here before, showing up in an untreated geothermal well used for drinking water in Arizona.

After the death in August, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for assistance due to the fact that they could not find a lab in the continental United States to test for the amoeba.

De Soto Parish Water Works District #1 had a 2011 Naegleria fowleri-related death as well, so the CDC agreed to test the water in both parishes. The CDC confirmed the presence of the rare Naegleria fowleri amoeba in five locations in DeSoto Parish Waterworks District #1. When temperatures are in the range between 90 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit, this deadly amoeba grows very active as the growing number of victims due to this unregulated contaminant documents. Naegleria fowleri cysts can persist for weeks even in freezing temperatures, so this killer amoeba can overwinter in the soils and waters of most of the US.

After publishing an article about the St. Bernard Parish incident, I was contacted by Jacob Groby who works for their water system. Mr. Groby informed me that the amoeba was never actually found in his system. He said the Slip ‘N’ Slide water hose had been hooked up to a house trailer that had previously been a FEMA trailer. The trailer sat unused for an extended period of time, then put back in service and connected to the St. Bernard Parish water system. According to Mr. Groby, it was the trailer that was the source of contamination, not the water system.

After the St. Bernard Parish incident the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) required all Louisiana water systems to increase chlorine levels to .5 milligrams per liter as this is an effective way to eradicate the amoeba.

In August of 2014, Naegleria fowleri was found in another Louisiana system, St. John the Baptist Parish, which is 46 miles north of New Orleans. The DHH was performing testing of the Parish’s water to ensure that they had the appropriate amount of chlorine residual to combat the amoeba. When they found that the chlorine residual was lower than expected, they had the water tested for Naegleria fowleri and it was confirmed that it was present in their system.

One of the reasons Naegleria fowleri has not been found in other United States water systems, is that it is simply not tested for. The Naegleria fowleri amoeba is a parasite that occurs naturally in soil and water, grows well in warm temperatures, and survives for extended periods at low temperatures.

The amoeba can only grow in a water system if the water is untreated or is vulnerable due to depleted chlorine. Free chlorine or chloramine residuals of 0.5 mg/L or higher will control the amoeba. St. Bernard Parish has flushed its water system with extra chlorine (known as a chlorine burn) to kill the amoeba. The DHH and local officials are now monitoring the chlorine levels on a regular basis.

The CDC web page on Naegleria fowleri has a link to “Amoeba Response Guidelines” from Australia. It turns out that Australia has had more experience with Naegleria fowleri than anyone. During the 1970’s and 1980’s, Australia had multiple deaths that were linked either to swimming, or to having nasal exposure linked to contaminated drinking water.

8-23-2012 – Fox news reported Health officials link brain-eating amoeba deaths to tap water. “The victims, a 28-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman from different parts of the state (LA), died from Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) – an almost universally fatal infection – after using neti-pots filled with tap water to irrigate their sinuses.”

In the October 2014 issue of the AWWA Journal, an article titled: Naegleria fowleri: An Emerging Drinking Water Pathogen, states that the free–living amoeba can readily attach to, and grow rapidly in, bio film. It is also stated in the article that uncertainty remains in regards to the ability of secondary disinfectant to control Naegleria fowleri in biofilms, tank sediments and other problematic parts of distribution system operations. If this deadly, parasitic amoeba can find a safe haven in the sediment on the floor of a water tank, keeping potable water tanks clean may be more important now than ever.

The article also states that there remains a knowledge gap in regards to the effective management of the parasite in premises (i.e. water pipes in homes & businesses, water heaters, shower heads, sink drains, etc.,). Given the fact that Naegleria fowleri enters the body through the nose and travels to the brain where it attacks the brain tissue, and knowing that we don’t know how to effectively combat the amoeba “in premises”, you might want to use a swimming “nose clip” when you shower if the following criteria are met: 1. It is summertime 2. The temperature is between 90-115 degrees Fahrenheit.

For more information on Naegleria fowleri amoeba in drinking water see:

http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/naegleria/public-water-systems.html

NOTE: You cannot be infected with Naegleria fowleri by drinking contaminated water. In very rare instances, Naegleria infections may also occur when contaminated water from other sources (such as inadequately chlorinated swimming pool water or contaminated tap water) enters the nose. (For example: when people submerge their heads or cleanse their noses during religious practices, and when people irrigate their sinuses (nose) using contaminated tap water.)

– Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/naegleria/general.html

11/11/2018

HERE’S THE ANSWER TO WHETHER MALAYSIA TAP WATER IS SAFE TO CONSUME OR NOT - By Goody Feed Team

After enjoying a lifetime of luxury of drinking water from taps and not get an upset stomach in Singapore afterwards, you might be wondering if our neighbours in Malaysia get to enjoy the same benefits. The answer is, surprisingly, yes even though there are various factors to consider.

Although tap water is safe to drink in Malaysia, it is highly recommended that people don’t drink from their taps when they are in big cities like Kuala Lumpur or if they are living in high-rise flats. The tap water from such buildings are typically from a water tank somewhere in the block and it is uncertain as to whether it is clean, especially if the apartment building is old and has dirty water pipes. As such, people are often advised to first the boil the water to kill any bacteria and micro organisms in it before consumption.

However, it is interesting to note that many Malaysians report no health issues even though they have had tap water since they were young. But that’s because their bodies have grown accustomed to it. Those who have sensitive stomachs or who are not used to the water there may experience diarrhoea after drinking tap water from Malaysia.

Despite that, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in America released an infographic last year stating that the tap water in Malaysia is not safe for consumption. They have also suggested that tap water in countries without safe drinking water like Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, among others should be boiled for at least a minute before it is safe for consumption. In situations whereby there is no electricity or kettle, tap water should be filled into a bottle and be placed under direct sunlight for at least 3 hours though this method will not work on cloudy water.

They could also disinfect the water with 8 drops of regular, unscented household bleach for every 3.78 litres of water, stir then let it sit for 30 minutes before drinking it.

11/11/2018

11/11/2018

LIVING IN FEAR AFTER WATER
TANK INCIDENT -

KUALA LUMPUR: Residents of an apartment here, where a 32,000 gallon water tank atop the 12-storey building burst and damaged 12 apartment units on Tuesday, are still traumatised.

Resident Ahmad Shoufi Mohd Idris, 38, who is also the apartment's management corporation treasurer, said he and his family get frightened and agitated whenever they hear a loud thud or bang following the fateful day.

"We are all really scared after what had happened. Even the sound of thunder makes me nervous now. The sound was so loud, it felt like an explosion," he told theSun.

State Housing, Building, Management and Urban Living Committee chairman Datuk Iskandar Abdul Samad, following a visit to the site, immediately approved the state's low-cost housing refurbishment scheme to have the water tank replaced.

He said the Selangor Housing and Property Board and Selangor State Development Corporation would check the site to determine the overall cost of the damage and funds required, and the state would cover 60% of it.

When asked who was supposed to be responsible for the safety checks of ageing water tanks at high-rise buildings, he said: "The respective management corporations are supposed to hire consultants every year or so to inspect if the building is safe."

Meanwhile, Ahmad Shoufi said he was lucky to still be alive after having only inspected the water tank with four other residents just five minutes before it broke and sent broken concrete slabs onto the ground.

"We received a call saying the tank was overflowing that midnight. So we shut the main stopcock and went to inspect the tank. Not more than five minutes later, I heard a loud bang and found that the tank had broken," he said.

Ahmad Shoufi said residents from two other blocks in the area have also raised concerns that the water tanks on their apartments might give way too.

Of the 12 damaged apartment units at the Pangsapuri Cheras Utama in Jalan CU 4A, Mohd Adzmi Othman's house on the 12th floor was the worst hit. Parts of his unit's wall and several of his furniture were damaged after water from the tank poured into his house knee-deep.

Checks by theSun also found that the broken concrete slabs from the apartment's wall that holds the water tank were that of light weight bricks instead of the normal bricks.

11/11/2018

CAR CRUSHED BY WATER TANK FALLING OFF EDGE OF BUILDING

KOTA KINABALU: A parked car was crushed by a falling water tank near Sinsuran Complex here on Wednesday (June 13) afternoon.

City police chief Assistant Commissioner M. Chandra said police rushed to the scene after receiving a distress call from a member of the public at noon.

ACP Chandra said the structure holding the tank in place was already decaying and this may have caused the tank to slip from its original position and fall onto the vehicle.

He added that the half-empty tank, which contained 200 liters of water at the time of the incident, was placed near the edge of the building without any safety barriers.

"The tank belonged to a nearby restaurant, and was placed on the first floor of the building.

"The car was parked in one of the designated spots at the side of the building. The owner was not in the vehicle when it happened, and nobody was hurt in the incident," he explained.

ACP Chandra said the restaurant manager filed an official police report at approximately 2.47 pm.

"He agreed to bear the cost of the accident, after a discussion with the car owner," he noted.
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/06/13/car-crushed-by-falling-water-tank-sabah/ .99

11/11/2018

The mystery of the source of a foul odour from water supply in a Bukit Damansara condominium was solved after the dead body of a man was found floating in the water tank on Tuesday. Residents had reportedly started complaining about water smelling bad since May 7. One of them, 23-year-old Abbas, said he and his housemates continued drinking the water despite the smell because they thought the pipe was rusty. "We drank and bathed with the water for five days. It was only on Wednesday that we found out that the weird odour was caused by a dead body in the water tank," he said. Another resident said she was traumatised by the whole incident and is now buying mineral water from outside for consumption. According to police, the 43-year-old victim, Chuan Wan Chooi, was not a resident of the condominium and a missing persons report was lodged by his brother on May 9. Meanwhile, Prof Dr S Shamala Devi of Universiti Malaya has advised those who had consumed the contaminated water to see a doctor if they experienced symptoms such as fever, stomach ache or diarrhoea.

Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/in-other-media/2015/05/15/corpse-found-water-tank/ .99

11/11/2018

POLICE STUMPED OVER BODY FOUND IN WATER TANK - Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news -

KUALA LUMPUR: There is a mystery brewing over the discovery of a decomposed body in a Bukit Damansara condominium water tank, as police are still puzzled over the strange nature of the death.

Post-mortem results on the body of Chuan Wan Chooi have come back with inconclusive results, although drowning has been ruled out as the cause of death as there was no water retention in the 43-year-old man’s lungs.

There were also no visible signs of injury or struggle on the body.

Brickfields OCPD Asst Comm Muhammad Azlee Abdullah said officers were now hoping the toxicology report for traces of drugs and alcohol could shed more light on the matter.

CCTV recordings show Chuan walking alone to the water tank, but so far police are unable to explain how he managed to get into the water tank when it was locked and the keys kept by security guards.

Chuan, who worked as an auto part salesman, was not a resident or worker at the condominium.

He also did not have any criminal record.

ACP Azlee said that checks into Chuan’s background had not revealed anything that would suggest foul play.

Chuan reportedly disappeared on May 7 and was found inside the water tank of the condominium at about 9 pm on May 12.

The condominium management found his decomposed body in the tank after residents complained of strange-smelling water coming from their taps for several days.

KL police chief Senior Deputy Comm Datuk Tajuddin Md Isa said police were still treating the case as a sudden death.

Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2015/05/21/police-stumped-over-body-found-in-water-tank/ .99

11/11/2018

MAN HIDES IN WATER TANK TO AVOID NADA OP

By Junaidi Ladjana - September 26, 2018 @ 11:03 am
KOTA BELUD: A man suspected to be drug addict hid in a water tank to avoid being detained by National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK).

During the operation dubbed Ops Cegah, the 20-year-old man however failed to hold his breath in the water tank in his bathroom and surrendered himself to the agency.

The man was among seven people detained during the operation held in Tuaran and Kota Belud.

District chief officer Asraf Hafiz Ruslan said the operation, assisted by personnel from the headquarters and Labuan, was conducted following public complaints and a week-long surveillance.

“From initial screening of urine tests, six of them are tested positive for syabu while another one is tested negative.

“Those tested positive were brought to Tuaran AADK for further investigation,” he added.

Asraf said all suspects, aged between 22 and 46, were arrested under Section 3(1) Drugs Dependent (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act 1983.

“Tuaran AADK will continue to monitor from time to time to curb drug abuse activities. Those with information on related issues may contact 088-788336 or come to the agency offices,” he added.

18/07/2018

12/01/2018

Clean water tanks means healthy drinking water...NO ALTERNATE...!!!

24/10/2017

Foul find: Co**se in KL condo water tank
Residents of a condominium in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur did not know why their drinking water smelled bad.
So they complained about the stench, which started last week (May 7).
When workers responded to the complaints and checked, they found the problem: A man's body was floating in the water tank.
Residents were appalled they had been using the foul-smelling water for nearly a week.
One of them called Abbas told Kosmo! Online:
"We drank and bathed with the water for five days.
"It was only on Wednesday that we found out that the weird odour was caused by a dead body in the water tank."
He and the other residents thought the stench was caused by a rusty pipe.
Police said the victim was 43-year-old Chuan Wan Chooi. He was not a condominium resident.
His brother had lodged a missing persons report four days before the body was discovered.
Sources: The Star, Kosmo! Online

09/10/2017

Bacteria found in water samples from Malaysia's vending machines
A man collecting water from a water vending machine in Subang Jaya. -- The Star/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
PUBLISHED
AUG 19, 2014, 11:52 AM SGT

PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The water you buy from vending machines in Malaysia may not be as clean as you think.
Twenty-nine samples of water were drawn from such machines throughout the Klang Valley - and almost all were contaminated.
There were harmful E. coli, Coliform and Clostridium perfringens microbes - the same kind of bacteria found in untreated sewage.
Coliform and Clostridium perfringens are also the same bacteria found in human and animal faeces.
These bacteria can cause cramps, diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal problems.
The Star conducted the tests together with Forum Air Malaysia, an organization formed to assist the National Water Services Commission.
Forum Air Malaysia tested 14 samples in April while The Star screen 15.
The samples were from vending machines here and in Subang Jaya, Cheras, Klang and Kuala Lumpur.
Under Malaysia's Safe Drinking Water Act, there should not be any trace of Coliform or E. coli in drinking water.
Forum Air research and policy executive Jesslyn Pek said it was worrying that many of the samples did not have traces of free chlorine or fluoride, which are chemicals needed to kill bacteria in water.
"From the tests on the 14 water samples, six were found to have either Coliform or E. coli - and did not contain any free chlorine or chloride," she said, adding that "free chlorine must be present, because it is a disinfectant."
"There are standards to determine how much free chlorine is needed to be used to treat water, but as it cannot be detected at all in these samples, it shows that an insufficient amount was used."
In the tests conducted by The Star with an accredited laboratory, all 15 samples tested positive for Coliform and Clostridium perfringens.
Water vending machines are found in office and residential buildings and universities or colleges.
People prefer to buy this water as it costs only about 20 sen (S$0.08) a litre compared to bottled water, which can cost more than RM2 (S$0.79) for the same amount.
According to an industry source, the Health Ministry began a nationwide effort to licence owners of water vending machines last year.
However, to date, many have not responded.
To obtain the licence, operators need to fork out RM450 per machine and send water from the machines for quality tests at the Department of Chemistry.
They also have to pay a licence processing fee of RM130. A two-year licence costs RM150.
Regulation 360 (c) (for "vended water") was added to the Food Regulations 1985 in August 2012 to regulate water vending machines.
The ministry has requested for full water test results after being alerted by The Star.

03/09/2017

"Toxins in Kuantan's treated water"

KUALA LUMPUR: The presence of heavy metals in treated water in Kuantan may have confirmed the worst-case scenario of bauxite contamination raised by experts in August.

Analyses on Dec 3 by a team of experts show traces of aluminium in the treated water supply in Felda Bukit Goh and Felda Bukit Sagu, and lead, in Semambu.

Experts believe these traces could have come from the bauxite sediments in runoff water from the heavy rains that have lashed the state in recent weeks. Scientists believe that the runoff, with the contaminants, have seeped into the water supply.

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Chemical Engineering Department’s Professor Dr Maketab Mohamed, who was part of the team, said the one-off sampling, which was commissioned and funded by concerned residents in Kuantan, had unearthed non-compliance in the treated water in three areas.

“The lead content at the consumers’ end, which was taken from the Semambu area, was at 0.022 mg/L, which exceeded the limit set by the Health Ministry, which is at 0.01 mg/L.

“There is also ‘non-compliance’ for aluminum (Al) at Station 9 (0.29 mg/L) and Station 10 (0.25 mg/L). The limit set by the mHealth Ministry is 0.20 mg/L. Both sampling sites were in residential areas at Felda Bukit Goh, Kuantan. There was also a near non-compliance at Station 7 (0.19 mg/L), taken at a residence in Felda Bukit Sagu.”

He said even though aluminium was used as a coagulant in the treatment of water, it was unusual to have such high levels of it in drinking or potable water.

“Without bauxite or other surface mining near water catchment areas, heavy metal levels in water do not exceed that set by the ministry.

“The non-compliance indicates that the main problem is the storm runoff that contains bauxite, especially near water catchment areas, which is polluting the raw water.

Maketab urged the ministry also called on the Health Ministry to come up out with parameters for aluminium concentration in raw water.

“The concentration of aluminium at the three raw water intakes (Sg Kuantan Barrage at Kg Kobat; Sg Batu/Sg Rong confluence for Felda Bukit Sagu intake; and Sg Riau for Felda Bukit Goh intake) are at 0.74 mg/L, 0.78 mg/L and 0.81 mg/L respectively.

“Although the ministry does not have parameters for aluminium concentration in raw water, something must be done to control the aluminium pollution as a result of bauxite mining, which is contaminating the drinking water supply.”

It is believed that aluminium is linked to degenerative brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Water quality specialist Dr Zaki Zainudin said water sources near the bauxite mining areas were expected to be contaminated further during rainy season as more discharge from the mining would flow into the water sources.

“The impact of bauxite mining in Kuantan is visible and widespread. The streams, rivers and even coastal areas have all turned red as a result of anthropogenic activities, either directly or indirectly.

“It will become worse in the rainy season as more runoff is generated and sediment is channelled into nearby water sources.”

He said the blanket of choking red dust from the mining of bauxite mining in Kuantan should have been enough to set off alarm bells to galvanise the relevant authorities into action.

“Something is wrong here and it doesn’t take a genius to figure this out. The issue is staring at us right in the face. The fact that nothing has been done, is a travesty.”

Zaki also challenged those claiming that the experts were exaggerating the claims of a health risk.

“Would you eat fish that has been swimming in that pool of red filth? And if the water is so safe, why not have a drink straight from the source, like how our ancestors used to, without any physico-chemical treatment, except boiling it?”

Environmental health expert Professor Dr Jamal Hisham Hashim, in an online discussion on Facebook, said the poorly-regulated bauxite mining in Kuantan made a mockery of the legal system and environmental governance.

“We, as environmental professionals, cannot just sit back and watch this continue unabated. We cannot to allow the plundering of the environment. It goes against our conscience and professional responsibility. We have to intervene and make it right.”

25/07/2017

Please read the story...!!!

Wall collapses sending falling debris on cars and motorcycles, and flooding the area when a water tank on the fourth floor bursts.

16/05/2017

09/05/2017

Drinking water tanks condition in Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia (Before and After the Steamsterz Treatment - There is clean...then there is Healthy clean)