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Why is Cryptosporidium a problem in treated drinking water?

April 26, 2017cryptosporidium drinking water problem treated

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Why is Cryptosporidium a problem in treated drinking water?

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Most surface water sources, such as lakes, river, and streams contain some Cryptosporidium oocysts. The oocysts are highly resistant to chlorine and other disinfectants, which are used to kill bacteria and viruses in drinking water. In addition, the oocysts are so small (4-6 microns in diameter) that conventional municipal water treatment does not guarantee 100% removal of the oocysts. When tested repeatedly, a little over half of the public water supplies that obtain raw water from rivers, lakes and streams have low levels of Cryptosporidium in the treated filtered water.