Bangkok: Contaminated water makes 900 pupils, teachers sick

[webfact]

HEALTH
Contaminated water makes 900 pupils, teachers sick
POUNGCHOMPOO PRASERT
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- MORE THAN 900 students and teachers at the Bangkok Christian College (BCC) have come down with acute diarrhoea over the past month, due very likely to contamination in the school's underground water tanks.

The college administrators said that as of now, they have solved the contamination problem.

"We closed the school for four days to clean up and improve our drinking-water system," BCC deputy director Penjun Wattanamongkhon said at a press conference yesterday.

The school was closed from last Saturday to Tuesday.

According to Dr Sopon Iamsirithavorn, director of Disease Control Centre 1, samples showed that the drinking water in the school and ice were contaminated with Norovirus and Rotavirus, which are known to cause gastrointestinal tract problems.

"They are common causes of diarrhoea. Usually, they don't cause any other severe symptoms or death," Sopon said.

Sinking Bangkok to blame

Penjun said further checks showed that the contamination had taken place in the underground water tanks.

"There are some cracks in the tanks due to Bangkok's land subsidence," she explained. "Now, we have relocated our tanks to the ground level".

Disease Control Department's deputy director-general Opas Karnkawinpong said as many as 846 students and 70 teachers had developed acute diarrhoea between May 14 and last Friday.

"These patients account for 15 per cent of the school's total population," he said, adding that after relevant authorities were alerted, detailed inspections were conducted to identify the source of the problem.

He said that though relevant parties were sure they had completely removed the cause of the contamination, they planned to closely monitor the students and teachers' health for another week or two.


-- The Nation 2014-06-12

[EricBerg]

""They are common causes of diarrhoea. Usually, they don't cause any other severe symptoms or death," Sopon said."

Usually one doesn't die from it. That's a comforting thought.

Perhaps watertanks of all schools and other institutions should be checked for cracks. Prevention is better than the occasional deads.

[Payboy]

Sinking Bangkok to blame

The tanks were designed before Bangkok started sinking, yes.

[UbonRatch]

Wow.. 6,100 students. That's a BIG school! Lucky they all didn't contract it.

[NongKhaiKid]

""They are common causes of diarrhoea. Usually, they don't cause any other severe symptoms or death," Sopon said."

Usually one doesn't die from it. That's a comforting thought.

Perhaps watertanks of all schools and other institutions should be checked for cracks. Prevention is better than the occasional deads.

The tanks etc are now being cleaned up. I wonder when they were last inspected, cleaned up and any necessary repairs done ?

[ClutchClark]

I thought schools, and other buildings in the city, would have relied on municipal water sources. Hotels typically have large water tanks simply because the demand is heavy during certain peak hours but is it quite common for most dwellings to have their own reserves?

And why?

Is the public water system pressure too low?

Thanks

[Oscar2]

they don't drink bottled ozonated water? i've never heard of a school (or any institution) that supplies drinking water from underground tanks???

[inthefareast]

The school knew about this for a few weeks before doing anything. Several students and teachers had to be admitted to the hospital for a few days as a result. They have now replaced the tanks to above ground and have run in a fresh line from the city lines to the tanks. The cause of the problem was an older building within the school grounds that supposedly is sinking (17 story building).

Hopefully other schools check their tanks and try to fix this problem quicker then BCC so students and staff don't end up in the hospital.

[inthefareast]

they don't drink bottled ozonated water? i've never heard of a school (or any institution) that supplies drinking water from underground tanks???

Bottled water is available for teachers and students but most of the students that were effected were the younger section of students where only a drinking fountain is provided which contained the contaminated water.

[ratcatcher]

Wow.. 6,100 students. That's a BIG school! Lucky they all didn't contract it.

I am curious at where you read 6100 students.

[trainman34014]

""They are common causes of diarrhoea. Usually, they don't cause any other severe symptoms or death," Sopon said."

Usually one doesn't die from it. That's a comforting thought.

Perhaps watertanks of all schools and other institutions should be checked for cracks. Prevention is better than the occasional deads.

The tanks etc are now being cleaned up. I wonder when they were last inspected, cleaned up and any necessary repairs done ?

This is a 'reactive' country. Don't ask for any maintenance on anything until people are dead....or as in this case 900 people get sick. Just surprises me more people don't get sick or die from such things every day. Ever walked around any public Hospitals and seen the filthy toilets, broken or missing taps, no tissue, leaking stagnant water pipes ? And this is where people are supposed to be made better !

[ClutchClark]

Wow.. 6,100 students. That's a BIG school! Lucky they all didn't contract it.

I am curious at where you read 6100 students.

From OP:

-------"Disease Control Department's deputy director-general Opas Karnkawinpong said as many as 846 students and 70 teachers had developed acute diarrhoea between May 14 and last Friday.

"These patients account for 15 per cent of the school's total population," he said. -------

846 / 0.15 = 5,640 if we are just talking students.

(846 + 70) / 0.15 = 6,106 if we are combining students and staff based on the statement from CDC.

[blazes]

Wow.. 6,100 students. That's a BIG school! Lucky they all didn't contract it.

I am curious at where you read 6100 students.

He read the article attentively (see second LAST paragraph) and he did some arithmetic. His arithmetic is correct, but in all likelihood the journalist has got the 15% wrong.

[weegee]

I thought schools, and other buildings in the city, would have relied on municipal water sources. Hotels typically have large water tanks simply because the demand is heavy during certain peak hours but is it quite common for most dwellings to have their own reserves?

And why?

Is the public water system pressure too low?

Thanks

Not really....but the water from the Municipal Source, may not be treated to an acceptable standard as well. having your own storage tanks, you can treat the water by way of filters and additives etc...

We have Town water....but the wife will not let me connect it into the house for that reason.

[wandasloan]

He read the article attentively (see second LAST paragraph) and he did some arithmetic. His arithmetic is correct, but in all likelihood the journalist has got the 15% wrong.

The arithmetic is pretty good if complicated in the article and the responder's was excellent. In the event, BCC has roughly 6,000 students.

.

[blazes]

He read the article attentively (see second LAST paragraph) and he did some arithmetic. His arithmetic is correct, but in all likelihood the journalist has got the 15% wrong.

The arithmetic is pretty good if complicated in the article and the responder's was excellent. In the event, BCC has roughly 6,000 students.

.

Are you saying that you know for certain that the school has 6000 plus students?

Didn't know there were that many Christians in Bkk!!

[MMarlow]

""They are common causes of diarrhoea. Usually, they don't cause any other severe symptoms or death," Sopon said."

Usually one doesn't die from it. That's a comforting thought.

Perhaps watertanks of all schools and other institutions should be checked for cracks. Prevention is better than the occasional deads.

"Prevention is better than the occasional deads."...that they don't cause, as you stated yourself.

[MMarlow]

The tanks etc are now being cleaned up. I wonder when they were last inspected, cleaned up and any necessary repairs done ?

Last Saturday.

[MMarlow]

This is a 'reactive' country. Don't ask for any maintenance on anything until people are dead....or as in this case 900 people get sick. Just surprises me more people don't get sick or die from such things every day. Ever walked around any public Hospitals and seen the filthy toilets, broken or missing taps, no tissue, leaking stagnant water pipes ? And this is where people are supposed to be made better !

This is a thread about an incident at one specific school. Why are you attempting to bring every Thai public hospital into disrepute with unfounded accusations by posting nonsense (such as "leaking stagnant water pipes") when no such incident has occurred?

[Johnnie99]

Horse, door, bolted, locked, after. Rearrange and enhance to make a useful idiom.

[inthefareast]

Wow.. 6,100 students. That's a BIG school! Lucky they all didn't contract it.

I am curious at where you read 6100 students.

There are roughly 5000 students enrolled in the school I used to work there. Well over 100 foreign teachers.

[Sandman77]

Who can be so stupid and drink water from the pipe in bk?

Can order 10 liter for 10 baht from water company

[HooHaa]

I thought schools, and other buildings in the city, would have relied on municipal water sources. Hotels typically have large water tanks simply because the demand is heavy during certain peak hours but is it quite common for most dwellings to have their own reserves?

And why?

Is the public water system pressure too low?

Thanks

yes and yes

[HooHaa]

Who can be so stupid and drink water from the pipe in bk?

Can order 10 liter for 10 baht from water company

and where would the younger students have that delivered?

once again you have proven exactly how disconnected from the place you live you actually are.

Every school i have ever set foot in in thailand has water fountains on the premises

Edited June 12, 2014 by HooHaa

[HooHaa]

He read the article attentively (see second LAST paragraph) and he did some arithmetic. His arithmetic is correct, but in all likelihood the journalist has got the 15% wrong.

The arithmetic is pretty good if complicated in the article and the responder's was excellent. In the event, BCC has roughly 6,000 students.

.

Are you saying that you know for certain that the school has 6000 plus students?

Didn't know there were that many Christians in Bkk!!

christian schools accept secular students. there are also a number of other catholic and protestant schools.

[1plumber]

I thought schools, and other buildings in the city, would have relied on municipal water sources. Hotels typically have large water tanks simply because the demand is heavy during certain peak hours but is it quite common for most dwellings to have their own reserves?

And why?

Is the public water system pressure too low?

Thanks

no becuase the public water system is not fit for consumption by humans

[ClutchClark]

I thought schools, and other buildings in the city, would have relied on municipal water sources. Hotels typically have large water tanks simply because the demand is heavy during certain peak hours but is it quite common for most dwellings to have their own reserves?

And why?

Is the public water system pressure too low?

Thanks

no becuase the public water system is not fit for consumption by humans

Thanks to everyone that answered the question, but I still don't understand why storage tanks are necessary to make the water cleaner. Are you saying that they have treated water trucked into the school and stored in these tanks?

There are many highly effective filtration systems that do not require a reservoir to function and treat tap water.

[DekDaeng]

Wow.. 6,100 students. That's a BIG school! Lucky they all didn't contract it.

I am curious at where you read 6100 students.

900 / 0.15 = 6000

[belg]

imagine 500 students having to use the toilet at the same time but they are only 10 or 20 available

[misterderp]

I thought schools, and other buildings in the city, would have relied on municipal water sources. Hotels typically have large water tanks simply because the demand is heavy during certain peak hours but is it quite common for most dwellings to have their own reserves?

And why?

Is the public water system pressure too low?

Thanks

Not really....but the water from the Municipal Source, may not be treated to an acceptable standard as well. having your own storage tanks, you can treat the water by way of filters and additives etc...

We have Town water....but the wife will not let me connect it into the house for that reason.

actually, tap water is cleaner than half of bottled water on sale at stores.

tap water uses chlorine to destroy pathogens. bottled water doesn't due to the strong flavor imparted.

the only issue really is leaking pipe and dirty storage tank but I don't think there has ever been a case of anybody getting sick from tap water in BKK since the beginning of tap watering.