Boil Water Advisory Lifted at Cowans Gap
A boil water advisory put into effect Friday, August 19, after E. coli bacteria was found in a well at Cowans Gap State Park in Pennsylvania has been lifted. Drinking water samples taken from the well have all come back with good results, park officials said Monday.
The E. coli bacteria found in the well was not the same strain that has apparently sickened at least 14 people who swam in the 42-acre lake between July 12 and July 31.
Some of the victims are children who contracted E. coli infections and then developed kidney failure (renal failure) from a complication of E. coli called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). In addition to kidney failure, HUS can cause severe seizures, strokes, heart failure, hypertension, pancreatitis and other life-threatening medical problems.
Although some of the victims did drink the water at the park, all of them swam in the lake, officials said. The source of contamination in the park's lake is still unknown. All lake activities remain closed until all sampling results are complete, officials said.
Cowans Gap State Park is in Fulton County, Pennsylvania.
