Notice for residents using Town of Espanola drinking water

Public Health Sudbury & Districts is advising residents of the Town of Espanola who consumed water from the Espanola Drinking Water System between 10:15 p.m. on January 31, 2023, and 8:30 a.m. on February 1, 2023, to monitor themselves for gastrointestinal symptoms due to potential exposure to Cryptosporidiosis. A mechanical issue with the coagulant feed at the Espanola Water Treatment Plant resulted in potentially improperly treated water entering the distribution system. The issue at the plant has been resolved and the risk is very low that anyone who has consumed this water during the affected times will experience any ill health effects. Water entering the distribution system after 8:30 a.m. on February 1, 2023, has been properly treated.

“Public Health Sudbury & Districts was advised of a mechanical issue at the plant which may have affected the safety of the water. The issue has since been fixed and the water being distributed is safe. Out of an abundance of caution, Public Health is asking residents to monitor for symptoms of Cryptosporidiosis for the next 12 days,” said Burgess Hawkins, a manager in Public Health Sudbury & Districts’ Health Protection Division. “As an added precaution, residents should flush their water lines if they have not been used. If residents had boiled their water at a rolling boil for at least one minute prior to consumption, they would not be at risk,” said Hawkins.

Coagulants bind to small particles in raw water to increase their physical size, allowing them to be filtered out before entering the treated drinking water supply. Effective filtration of drinking water is necessary to ensure the removal of parasites, particularly Cryptosporidium from the raw water. Symptoms of Cryptosporidiosis include:

• diarrhea (often profuse and watery)
• abdominal cramps
• anorexia
• fever
• nausea
• general malaise
• vomiting

Anyone experiencing one or more of these symptoms in the next 12 days should consult a health care provider and notify them of their potential exposure. For more information Cryptosporidium, please visit our website at phsd.ca or call Public Health Sudbury & Districts at 705.522.9200, ext. 464 (toll-free 1.866.522.9200).