Bahamas government says water is safe for human consumption
The Bahamas government says it has been made aware of the recent discovery of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in parts of the well water system affecting farms in North Andros and that the public water system, overseen by Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC), “is not, in any way, affected by E. coli contamination and remains safe for human use and consumption”.
E. coli is a bacterium
commonly found in the gut of warm-blooded organisms. Most strains of E. coli
are not harmful but are part of the healthful bacterial flora in the human gut.
However, some types can cause illness in humans, including diarrhoea, abdominal
pain, fever, and sometimes vomiting.
In a statement, the
government said that the issue of E. coli in private well water in North Andros
was brought to the attention of the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine
Resources (MAMR) in December last year by The Bahamas Agricultural Health
& Food Safety Authority (BAHFSA).
The statement said that
Agriculture Minister Michael Pintard “acted immediately” and directed BAHFSA to
investigate the extent of the problem and the nature of the threat to the
farming community and the wider public.
The statement said earlier this month, officials from the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI), WSC and the Department of Environmental Health Services (DEHS) collected 25 water samples in North Andros, at and around the point where the initial presence of E. coli tested positive.
“The public water system
overseen by Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC) is not, in any way, affected
by E. coli contamination and remains safe for human use and consumption. The
Corporation continues its regular evaluation and inspection of its water wells
in North, Central and South Andros where none of the wells have been
compromised,” the statement said.
“The results of the sample
testing revealed that 72 per cent of the 25 samples analysed had E. coli
present. We are awaiting the results of additional testing, however,
further tests are needed to confirm the initial findings and to confirm the
strain(s) involved. Initial tests for faecal streptococcus were inconclusive
thus, are being retested. Other potential water-borne pathogens will also
be investigated.”
