Current news has many worried about eating purchased lettuce for fear of contracting cyclosporiasis, an illness resulting from ingesting the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis from contaminated water or food. It’s fairly rare in the United States but can occur from produce imported from other parts of the world where irrigation water is contaminated with human feces from an infected person. In the case of Cycloclospora c., it cannot be washed off – a sobering fact, right? Cyclosporiasis’ nasty symptoms (the best known being severe diarrhea) have made us painfully aware that as gardeners, we should be diligently avoiding any unseen sources of water contamination that can harm our precious, carefully grown produce.
Irrigation from water sources like streams and rivers is risky as it can contain parasites. The produce from a flooded field can be rendered unsafe for consumption.
Safe irrigating
Well water is quite safe from the sources of pollution that introduce contamination. City water which has been treated like what we use at Dowling is likewise safe.
Simple ways to avoid foodborne illnesses (postharvest):
Using clean water, clean and regularly sanitize harvesting containers, tools, and surfaces.
The best way to clean produce is with clean, cold running water. Scrub hard surfaces with a soft brush and wash before peeling. Don’t otherwise use soap, vinegar, or bleach as this could even be detrimental. If you are still worried about contamination, cook produce to 158° F.
A word about Dowling’s water barrels
Many gardeners use Dowling’s water barrels. Do what you can to avoid contaminating the water. Dipping a watering can into a barrel unavoidably introduces contaminants into the barrels, but we can do our best to brush off dirt before doing so.
Although the water is used up and replenished fairly frequently, please do not wash your hands or produce in Dowling’s water barrels. This contaminates the water for everyone. It’s helpful that the water doesn’t sit too long and that all barrels have covers, but covers can still allow some pollutants through, dirt and contaminants accumulate in the bottom that remain there all season long, and bacteria can easily multiply in the sitting water. After a few hot days in midsummer the water starts to look greenish and opaque, despite the fact that Dowling’s barrels are scrubbed annually. If you have your own water barrel be sure to scrub it at the beginning or end of the season (or more frequently) with soap and a brush, and rinse well. And if you are sick, please do not immerse your hands in the water to avoid running the risk of giving others your illness.
Your efforts will contribute to a healthier environment for our gardening efforts.
Sources:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17957-cyclosporiasis
https://extension.umn.edu/farm-operations-and-systems/growing-safe-food
https://extension.umn.edu/farm-operations-and-systems/growing-safe-food#agricultural-water-1346162