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Last summer, 2,000 Utahns got sick from cryptosporidium, a parasite that thrives in water. Today, health officials in Weber County announced five new cases, but none of them associated with swimming in public pools.
Heath Departments say pool patrons are apparently heeding the message to be more careful, and public pools are taking precautions of their own. But one popular water park in Utah County admits today, it's behind schedule.
Some pools are turning to UV filtering systems to battle the crypto virus and advertising how they keep their pools clean, but health officials say the systems aren't necessarily fool-proof, especially if they are not installed.
Last May, we showed you plans at Seven Peaks Water Park to install state-of-the-art UV filters, and the company touts the new devices in an advertising campaign.
People who frequent the pools say it's a good idea. Park guest Melanie Smoke told us, "I know they've put in all the filters, and that will help."
But it turns out, Seven Peaks' advertising jumped the gun. Danielle Morgan, the assistant marketing director at Seven Peaks Water Park, told us, "I guess we were planning on installing them by the first of the season, but things happened, and we kind of got behind. But we are working on installing them right now."
Seven Peaks wouldn't tell us if any of the seven systems had been installed, just that its water is safe. "The water is safe enough to swim in. There's nothing to worry about," Morgan said.
The Utah County Health Department confirmed the water has passed all health department tests so far this year, even without the UV systems. The department says it wouldn't be concerned about the status of the filters at Seven Peaks, unless there was a crypto outbreak.
And even if there were, experts warn, a UV system is not magic. Jason Garrett, with the Utah County Health Department, said, "Our concern is that we might, as a public, let our guard down with these ultraviolet systems, and think it's going to take care of everything."
The Utah County Health Department is encouraged that there have been no reported cases yet this year. The season began later than normal because of cool weather, but last summer, the nine largest public pools in Utah County reported a total of 280 cases of contamination during the summer swimming season.
E-mail: corton@ksl.com
