A FRESH WATER WARNING
AND THE ASSOCIATED
BY ELLIOTT BERRY MIIMS IIMS member, Elliott
Berry MIIMS, was out on a routine surveying job a couple of years ago and unwittingly picked up a bacterial infection known as leptospirosis, which is known to create symptoms in the victim similar to influenza. Now fit and healthy once
more, Elliott is keen to warn other surveyors
who are working in fresh water situations about the potential dangers and what to be aware of.
DANGERS TO YOUR HEALTH
As some readers of the Report Magazine will know, I contracted Leptospirosis in May 2014 and although I didn’t really want to write this article and elicit sympathy from anyone and have avoided writing it for three years, I felt that now was the time to tell others of the dangers, especially with the increase in the number of vessels being converted into houseboats.
I was called to a vessel that was apparently sinking in the River Medway in Kent.
Upon arrival at the scene it was clear that the vessel was in fact afloat still, but had a large volume of water in the after cabins. My first response was to ascertain whether the water was indeed
from an external source i.e. river water, or from an internal source i.e. a fresh water leak.
As I had done many times previously I conducted a simple taste test and quickly ascertained that it was in fact “fresh” water. I then examined the vessel’s water system and found that all piping was still well installed and properly connected and that the water tank was in good order with no sign of leaks. A mystery indeed.
I advised the owner to pump out the water and to keep the area under observation and to call me if any further water were to appear. After six or seven days I had heard nothing.
During the next couple of days, I had been doing some work in the garden at home and started to feel unwell, but initially I put that down to having overdone it.
Over the next few hours I started to feel weak and developed a serious headache. At this point I rang the doctor and made an appointment. Initially the doctor intimated that it may be meningitis but that as I had no rash or sensitivity to light that diagnosis
64 | The Report • June 2017 • Issue 80
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