Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston and with that, there was sewer overflows, spilled fuel, pollutants and lawn pesticides getting into the water supply. A sample taken from the water showed a high level of E.Coli bacteria. Fifty Texas water systems were shut down and the rest let residents know that they should boil the water before using it. To keep the water safe, the chemicals needed will raise the risk of cancer, miscarriages and other long-term issues.

Key Takeaways:

• Hurricane Harvey easily overwhelmed the systems for dealing with water from storms, in place in Southeast Texas.
• Because the storm systems in the area could not handle the water Hurricane Harvey brought, there have been sewage overflows, resulting in large of amounts of E Coli in the drinking water.
• Authorities are challenged with how to proceed. And for example, simply adding more chlorine to the drinking water will kill bacteria, but it will set consumers up for possible health risks.

“Harvey’s filthy floodwaters pose significant dangers to human safety and the environment even after water levels drop far enough that Southeast Texas residents no longer fear for their lives, according to experts.”

Read more: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-4849798/Harveys-floodwaters-mix-foul-brew-sewage-chemicals.html