How do people become infected? from Modesto and Woodward Reservoirs. You Individuals can become infected with Giardia, can do your part by… Keep Your Cryptosporidium, other bacteria and viruses, by coming in contact with the stool of an infected Things You Can Do: person or animal, or by ingesting contaminated • Always use the restroom facilities, not Water Clean recreational water. Infection can also occur by the lake. eating contaminated raw or undercooked food. • Locate restroom facilities before Mountain streams and lakes are conducive to the leaving the shore to swim or boat. cysts’ survival and transmission to community water • Keep untrained children in diapers out systems. Even the cleanest appearing water might of the water. contain Giardia and Cryptosporidium. • Do not swim or wade if you are sick or just recovering from an illness.
• Do not dump portable toilet and
holding tank refuse in or near the lake.
The Issue • Keep dogs and horses out of the water.
Stanislaus County Regional Park Reservoirs (Modesto and Woodward) are drinking water suppliers for our community. The water is For Personal Protection: pumped out of the reservoirs, treated in advanced • Do not drink untreated lake water treatment facilities, and delivered to customers. unless you boil it first, or use filtered The water in our reservoirs is of excellent quality, water. and treatment plants are designed to remove or • Don’t swallow water when swimming. inactivate microorganisms. However, some • Spread out and avoid crowds in the microorganisms such as viruses and protozoa, Swimmer Alert! water. even in small concentrations, can cause Stanislaus County Regional Park Reservoirs • Shower after you swim. waterborne illness. (Modesto and Woodward) are popular destinations for recreation including water sports, such as swimming, water skiing, boating, and wading.
Bad Bugs Unsanitary swimming and boating habits have been Bacteria, viruses, and protozoa – especially responsible for disease outbreaks in swimmers, Giardia and Cryptosporidium – can be waders, and boaters in lakes and reservoirs. Human transmitted through water and survive in the waste spreads in the water, carrying infectious environment for long periods in cool agents from swimmer to swimmer. It is a recurring temperatures. Both people and animals can be problem at freshwater swim beaches with big carriers of the parasites even if they do not have crowds. People get sick by swallowing any symptoms. Symptoms of infection include contaminated water. diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, fatigue, and fever. The most serious infections normally occur in children and can be fatal for The Solution Stanislaus County immunosuppressed people. Water treatment facilities associated with the Department of Parks and Recreation Stanislaus County Regional Park Reservoirs are (209) 525-6750 doing their part to protect the drinking water drawn www.stancounty.com/parks