Officials from the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., have acknowledged flaws in the center's water disinfection system, according to NBC Charlotte.
Whitewater Center has come under scrutiny in the last month after an Ohio teen contracted a fatal brain-eating amoeba infection while visiting the park. After the incident, the governor of North Carolina called for a review of the facility's practices and the CDC detected high levels of the brain-eating amoeba after testing the water at the park.
Naegleria fowleri, which incites the deadly infection, is commonly found in warm fresh water. Infection occurs only when the amoeba enters the body through the nose. Whitewater Center — a 1,100-acre park surrounding the Catawba River dedicated to outdoor activities like whitewater rafting — is one of only three similar parks that is not regulated to assist in the prevention of waterborne illness.
In statement made to NBC Charlotte via email, a spokesman for the water park said, "Our goal is to reduce the algae that can grow in the system without using chemicals that can have negative effects for the environment as well as the guest. The algae is generally not unsafe, but it does create an environment that allows the organisms to grow and avoid the disinfection systems currently in place. There are options we are exploring with our water quality experts and expect to be very effective in addressing the algae as well as increasing our disinfection capabilities."
According to NBC Charlotte, the statement undercuts previous assertions from the Whitewater Center referring to the facility's disinfection system as 99.9 percent effective.
A former raft guide with the center told NBC Charlotte he took steps to avoid ever getting in the water at the park. According to the former guide, the level of filth in the water was well known among employees. When employees became ill, they would refer to the illness as "raft guide flu."
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