PLANO, Texas – Officials in Plano are working on a new way to stop a parasite that’s infecting north Texas pools. 

11 News

The parasite is called cryptosporidium and it has made dozens of people sick. In fact, at one point, at least three water parks in the Dallas area were forced to close their pools because of it.

Most cities clean their pools with hyper-chlorination, but it's not enough anymore. In Plano, they're trying something new.   UV filters have been installed at the city's two largest pools. The water filtrates through tubes, allowing the UV light inside to go to work.

“It instantly disrupts the cell. It breaks through the protein coat around the crypto and it's killed instantly,” said Tom Vyles, Plano Health Department.

Health officials say the power of the system is stronger than the sun, but the cost is high.  Each system costs $60,000.