Water-Borne Outbreak
Water-Borne Outbreak
There is no national surveillance system for the collection of water-born outbreak data for Canadians. Investigations of water-borne disease outbreaks are challenging because gastrointestinal illnesses are frequently underreported and come from multiple routes (person/ person, food-born, water-borne). Canadian trends documented in Small Systems Drinking Water Project by Moffatt and Struck (2011) do suggest the water systems serving 5,000 people or less may be more vulnerable.
Factors that contribute to Water-borne illness:
Animals in the watershed are identified as the most common source of contamination in surface water.
Human septic contamination is most common with groundwater outbreaks.
Spring run off can exacerbate underlying vulnerabilities in inadequate treatment or inadequate water protection.
Lack of funding, infrastructure, and/or training for Water Operations Workers
Malfunctioning water distribution systems (broken pipes, or cross-contamination).
Human error includes but not limited to - damage to equipment, mistakes made calculation of management of water treatment systems, poor material choices leading to contamination of groundwater.
Saskatchewan has Private Water Systems, Semi-Public Systems and Public (Municipal) Systems. 95% of Canadians that have private water systems use groundwater sources. Our well clients would fit into this category. Private well owners build their own water infrastructure. Often bacterial outbreaks are the cause of illness and it is important to test all water sources and monitor water quality. Pathogens in water are the most significant water-borne illness because they can be resistant to chemical disinfection and treatment. Pathogens and bacteria are more common in surface water sources. For example: If a large diameter well is flooded by spring run off, protozoa pathogens (like cryptosporidium and giardia) can enter the well and cause diarrhea, dehydration, stomach cramps, fever, nausea and vomiting and will often appear a week after infection. Dugouts and surface water (sloughs) become contaminated with cryptosporidium from infected fowl and livestock. Sewage overflows can also contaminate surface sources of water, so recreational sports involving lakes and rivers near sewage management systems. Dugouts and large board wells can harbor bacteria even after the area has been deemed safe at the original outbreak site.
Outbreaks like in Walkerton, Ontario in 2000 (E. coli) caused 2,200 cases of Gastrointestinal illness, 65 serious hospitalizations, and 7 deaths.
What we can do:
Check/test your water supply regularity. In a period of drought, it is important to be vigilant.
Hire Wolverine Drilling, we drill with chlorinated water, and grout with a tremie line, (the top pour method is not effective enough to guarantee grout placement).
Wells need a sufficient annulus, so filter cake does not bridge. Grout can effectively break surface and groundwater transfer. 2 inch or greater annulus is recommenced by well screen manufactures.
Proper grout methods prevent contamination from the surface into the aquifer below.
When drilling in confined areas like lake lots, each lot generally has a septic tank, all precautions need to be taken to pass surface water and use reliable water targets that are deeper (possibly bypassing contaminated water sources that are often in 10-17 ft from the surface.
Wolverine Drilling Inc. is dedicated to working with you throughout the drilling process to ensure clear and concise measures are taken for both long-term well sustainability and overall investment costs. We are experienced water well contractors and have vast amounts of experience drilling wells across all of Saskatchewan.
Please contact us directly at 306-682-4647 to discuss your options and the best process to follow for the decommissioning of your water well.
