Following the death of a six-year-old boy, a city in Texas declared a disaster when a brain-eating amoeba was found in its water supply.
The Brazosport Water Authority in Lake Jackson, about 50 miles south of Houston, received a warning from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that its water supply could be contaminated with a brain-eating amoeba known as Naegleria Fowleri.
A “do not use” water advisory for eight communities in the greater Houston area was initially issued. The advisory warned against using any type of water except to flush toilets. on Saturday the advisory was lifted for all communities except Lake Jackson
Later Saturday night Lake Jackson had the “do-not-use” advisory lifted and replaced with a boil water notice that remains in effect along with “additional precautionary measures.”
The agency stated in a news release, “ TCEQ and City officials are actively working on a plan to flush and disinfect a water system. Until the flushing and disinfecting process is complete, the Savior remains under the boil notice. during this period of disinfection and flushing, boiling the tap water makes it safe for drinking and cooking.”
The Brazosport Water Authority’s water source is the Brazos River which runs through the city located south of Houston. More than 27,000 residents are being affected by this plan.
Until the authority’s water systems can be thoroughly flushed, tested, and cleared for use the boil water notice will remain in place. No word has been given on how long it will be before the tap water is safe again.
Just six months earlier six-year-old Josiah McIntyre died after contracting the microbe. The boy’s mother said that her son suffered from a headache which turned into a fever, vomiting, and trouble speaking.
The mother said, “ It was weird because he had never complained of a headache before.”
The child died on September 8th from what doctors discovered was Naegleria Fowleri.
It was the investigation into the boy’s death that led to the detection of the brain-eating amoeba after health officials conducted water sample tests.
To ensure the area has clean drinking water grocery store chain Kroger will be helping to supply the city and has already deployed 250 pallets of water to stores in the area.
