A privately owned well supplying water to the Playdium Pool in West was the source of an E. coli outbreak over the summer, an investigation by local and state health officials found.
The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality linked the well to the outbreak, according to a report to the health district board this week. The health district reported in August that a total of 73 people experienced symptoms consistent with E. coli infection linked to the pool, prompting the pool to cut its summer season short.
West public works director CJ Gillaspie said the well is privately owned by the owners of Playdium and was not maintained by the city. He said as a precaution, West tested its own water wells and found them to be in good working condition.
Playdium’s owners did not immediately respond to a phone message or email seeking comment Friday morning.
People are also reading…
The investigation found the source of water to the pool was an “unregulated/untreated” well, according to a report delivered during a health district board meeting Wednesday. Water samples from two sources fed by the well tested positive for the presence of coliforms, indicating contamination of the well, according to the report.
The Tribune-Herald first reported Aug. 8 that the health district was investigating the outbreak at Playdium after about 20 people reported symptoms of gastrointestinal illness after swimming at the pool. By August, health district data showed about 73 people in total had symptoms consistent with E. coli, and four people received tests confirming they were infected with E. coli after swimming in the pool.
On Aug. 11, Playdium announced via Facebook it would voluntarily close for the remained of the summer season after the number of reported cases reached 73. Playdium’s summer season began Memorial Day weekend, and it was scheduled to be open every day until Aug. 7, after which it would only be open on weekends until Labor Day weekend, the planned end of its summer season.
Health district data showed the first date of exposure in the reported cases was July 28, with four cases. July 29 saw 38 reported cases, July 30 had 11, Aug. 3 had two, Aug. 4 had 11, Aug. 5 had four and Aug. 6 had three. The age range of people who reported cases was 1 to 66, and nobody was hospitalized as a result of their illness.
A press release at the time from the health district says the four who tested positive for E. coli tested positive for a strain of the bacteria that typically causes only mild illness.
The press release says the owners of the pool were cooperating fully with the health district and planned to conduct thorough cleaning, disinfection and water testing while closed and were committed to implementing corrective measures to prevent future incidents. The health district said at the time of the outbreak, the pool’s pH and chlorine levels were tested and found to be within safe and legal limits.
E. coli infections are gross. Here are 5 facts you can’t unlearn about them. // via Washington Post on YouTube
