Well Owners Advised to test for E. coli in Water
After settling a well water E. coli case in Iowa and investigating a well water E. coli outbreak at a fitness center in Missouri, lawyer Elliot Olsen says these public health dangers could be avoided with mandatory testing.
Olsen reached a confidential six-figure settlement for a two-year-old E. coli victim in rural Iowa who was sickened by E. coli in well water at her family’s rented home.
The well owner contended the child contracted E. coli directly from cattle in nearby fields, but Olsen hired university experts to study and prove that manure runoff from the cattle seeped into the private well serving the house.
Sadly, the little girl was hospitalized for an extended period when she developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). She suffered permanent kidney damage and is at risk for needing a kidney transplant in the future.
Meanwhile in Missouri, Cape Girardeau County Public Health said there are 7 laboratory-confirmed cases of E. coli O157:H7, all children. In addition, there are 11 other probable infections. The gym in question is the Class Act Family Fitness Center, 2336 County Road 307 in Jackson, which has agreed to cease providing water to its users.
Water from the well used by Class Act Family Fitness has tested positive for E. coli, and further testing is being done to determine if it is E. coli O157:H7.
HUS can develop in any person with an E. coli O157:H7 infection, but children are the most prone to this life-threatening disease. In Missouri, at least four of the well water E. coli victims were hospitalized.
To prevent similar outbreaks, Olsen recommends the following testing requirements for well owners who supply water for a business or rental property:
- Mandatory yearly testing of water for E. coli and other pathogens.
- Mandatory testing of water if the well has been overtopped by flood water or compromised.
- Required posting of well water risks near water fountains and water taps.
Attorney Elliot Olsen represents E. coli victims nationwide. He can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE) or by completing an online contact form.
Sports Complex E. coli Outbreak Linked to Water
Four people have been hospitalized and at least 10 others have reported being sickened by contaminated drinking water at a sports complex near Jackson, Missouri.
According to the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services, the Class Act Sports Complex E. coli outbreak began at the end of April.
Officials with the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center tested water from a drinking fountain and a faucet within the facility and confirmed the presence of E. coli in both samples. The sports complex, which is served by a private well, shut off its water at the urging of local health officials.
The state health agency said testing confirmed five E. coli infections. Nine other illnesses in people who drank water are considered probable cases of E. coli.
The Department of Health and Senior Services said it is working with local health officials to determine the source of the contamination. The agency did not say what type of E. coli was found.
People who have become ill after drinking water at the Class Act Sports Complex are asked to contact local health officials. For answers to legal questions about the outbreak, victims may call food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete our online contact form.
Pritzker Olsen is one of the few law firms in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation. Over the years, we have collected millions for victims and we are involved in practically every major outbreak of food poisoning.
