In that case germs in the water supply killed people. The water treatment system failed to kill the E.coli which resulted in several deaths and many illnesses.
Children are especially at risk .
Exposure during pregnancy or in early infancy can impair intellectual development and cause behavioural problems. Mold in homes can cause or exasperate a number of health problems. For example, asthma attacks may be triggered by the presence of mould, and, a number of other serious conditions are linked to the presence of mould in living and work places. Various chemicals can also affect health in both drastic and subtle ways. For example, children of women who ate large amounts of fish from Lake Michigan during pregnancy are exposed to toxic chemicals and heavy metals.