Despite the fact that the water in Milwaukee was treated to standards that are much higher than what is required in Canada, this parasite got through. Being within the standards required in the US offered little protection to Milwaukee's treatment plant as law suits against the City are still being addressed 5 years after the incident. The potential for law suits in case people get sick is the driving force behind major increases in research and development as well as monitoring in most major Canadian and US cities. Few, if any, rural areas on the Canadian prairie offer adequate protection for this commonly occurring parasite. A closer examination of some of these rural water problems is offered in Algae .
Agricultural fields provide the drainage basins for on-farm uses of water.
These dugouts provide ideal conditions for plant and algae growth because they are shallow in addition to becoming loaded with nutrients.