Hurricane Katrina Still Leaving Her Mark on the South
According to recent news, drinking water in the south is battling yet another harmful contaminant and Hurricane Katrina could still be leaving her mark on the south. Without proper drinking water filters, homes affected by the storm in 2005 could find themselves questioning the safety and purity of their tap water, particularly St. Bernard Parish. As if the thousands of people haven’t gone through enough already, the storm is still rearing her ugly head even today. A four-year-old boy from Louisiana lost his life to a brain eating amoeba in the drinking water in his home. The possible cause of the brain eating amoeba in that tap water could also pose risk for other residents.
Traces of a brain-eating amoeba have been found in New Orleans’ St. Bernard Parish’s water supply. Photograph by Tyrone Turner, National Geographic
A recent article from Water Tech Online last month outlined the devastating situation. Because St. Bernard Parish was beneath 15 feet of water from flooding back in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina devastated areas of Louisiana, when water pipes broke and the water pressure was zero. Jake Causey, chief engineer for the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, said that the water “sat” around the parish and in the sun for years, creating a breeding ground for bacteria such as this amoeba which could have infiltrated the tap water and caused the boy’s deadly diagnosis.
NBC News journalist Maggie Fox also published information on the topic last month, writing that the risk alarmed local schools to shut off water fountains to protect their children. Although the water was said to be safe, the schools wanted to take every precaution they could so that the same situation doesn’t occur again. Unfortunately, homes in the area are on their own when it comes to protecting their drinking water. Municipalities and public water systems often require residents to defend their own water after a natural disaster until the bigger filtration systems are improved or repaired. A drinking water system can filter out contaminants and improve the quality and taste of tap water. Our drinking water filters use the most advanced water filtration technology and are a form of defense against potential drinking water hazards.
In St. Bernard Parish, officials have decided to shock the water system with chlorine. Homes with drinking water systems will also be prepared for the changes or issues with high levels of chlorine in their tap water as well. Anyone concerned about the devastation that natural disasters can have on our drinking water can find peace of mind with a home drinking water system. Not only will you have a barrier from bacteria or these dangerous amoebas, but other contaminants will also be filtered at the tap. We know that many contaminants can be risky to our health. Contamination may not be imminent in all natural disasters, but the protection you seek from our products is.
