Health agent talks water health safety
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

Westminster Health Agent Elizabeth "Wibby" Swedberg wants residents to pay attention to preventing illnesses by keeping their private swimming areas clean, and wants them to know that she tests the local public swimming areas.

This week is the National Recreational Water Illness Prevention Week, said Swedberg, who says the Health Department does get calls from residents making sure the water at Crocker Pond Recreation Area and the Wyman Pond is clean. She says that during the season both areas are tested weekly for E. Coli.

"If you got a hit on E. Coli then you'd want to test for other things," she said.

The area of Wyman's Pond that is tested is along Narrows Road.

"If the tests were to reveal contamination beyond maximum advised levels, the beaches would be closed until a safe level is reached," Swedberg said.

The levels of bacteria usually rise after there is a lot of rain because the runoff from the surrounding areas goes into the water, she said. In her time in Westminster the water has not tested high for any bacteria that can cause illness.

Swedberg said the swimming areas would be closed to the public and residents would be notified through signage at the area. She said closing the areas is a protective measure and the water would continue to be tested and levels of bacteria returned to normal.

She said the federal Center for Disease Control officials are working with state and local officials to prevent recreation water illnesses because of increased reports of illnesses which is caused by cryptosporidium, a chlorine resistant parasite. There were 18 reports of diseases caused by the parasite in 2007 but Swedberg said no reporters were in Massachusetts.

She said results for the E. Coli test would indicate if this parasite was present in the public swimming areas. She does suggest that pool owners take care to test their waters.

"Germs on and in swimmers' bodies end up in the water and came make other people sick," Swedberg said referring to a CDC press release. "Even healthy swimmers can get sick from RWIs, but the young, elderly, pregnant women and immunosuppressed persons are especially at risk."

She said the health safety types people can follow including not swallowing the water in a pool or pond, showering before swimming, as well as not changing children's diapers alongside the pool or pond and not allowing children to go to the bathroom in the water.