What is Giardia?
Giardia lamblia is a common waterborne parasite that causes the diarrheal illness giardiasis. Humans most often come into contact with Giardia in water by swimming in contaminated pools. However, it can also be transmitted through other sources that have been exposed to stool from an infected person or animal. The water parasite Giardia infects living things by being swallowed or transmitted through blood. Trace amounts of this pathogen can even be found in tap water, so it is crucial to implement prevention and mitigation strategies for Giardia in your water supply.
Understanding Giardiasis
Giardiasis is the illness caused by ingesting Giardia in drinking water or another source. More than 15,000 cases of this disease are reported in the United States every year. Although the symptoms are analogous to the stomach flu, they can last longer —from two to six weeks, depending on the severity of the infection. People diagnosed with giardiasis typically report cramping, diarrhea, nausea, and other gastrointestinal ailments.
Guarding against Giardia
One of the most challenging things about protecting against Giardia is that the cysts can cause infection even at low concentrations within a water supply. This means it can require testing several gallons of water, and, even then, the cysts still may not be detected.
In most cases, testing for thermotolerant E. Coli is recommended because if it is not present, there is a high probability that Giardia will not be present, either. This, combined with the cysts’ resistance to chlorine, means that prevention is the best strategy overall.
Giardia water treatment is important because the parasite is highly resistant to chlorine and other common disinfectants used to treat water sources shared by large groups of people. Multiple safeguards are necessary to guard the public and employees from this danger when they’re on your property. LiquiTech is a leader in providing Giardia water tests and disinfection solutions that can be combined for near-total protection. With our LiquiTech® Sediment Filtration System and LiquiTech® UV Disinfection System technologies, property owners can enjoy the security of multiple lines of defense.
Our self-cleaning filter system removes sediment and corrosion as well as biofilm deposits at the source. This means biological pathogens are deprived of the nutrients and environment they need to flourish. The Sediment Filtration System requires no consumables and works within seconds of installation. It provides a high-efficiency, low-waste barrier against infection.
LiquiTech® Sediment Filtration System can be coupled with our advanced UV Disinfection System to add an extra layer of security to your plumbing. Exposing water to high-intensity UV light damages the DNA and RNA of any bacteria, viruses, molds, or yeasts within it. These unwanted intruders will be rendered inert and unable to reproduce. The proprietary design of our lamps gives the most reliable and efficient performance possible. When our filter and UV systems are combined, they offer a superior level of protection against giardiasis and many other waterborne diseases.
