With hospitals prioritizing oxygen for COVID-19 patients, a Florida water treatment plant has curtailed operations. Could the pandemic truly compromise tap water safety?
The surprising link between tap water and the COVID-19 crisis is oxygen. As Wired detailed in its August 27, 2021, article, Florida's Tampa Bay water treatment plant reported insufficient oxygen for disinfection amid roughly 17,000 statewide hospitalizations, where patients on respiratory support get priority access.
On August 20, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer urged residents via Facebook to curb water use. With national oxygen demand soaring, he stressed it's first about saving lives, warning that sustained high consumption could impact water quality.
Orlando's Water Department reinforced this, advising against non-essential uses like car washing or lawn watering to preserve oxygen for hospitals. Mayor Dyer also highlighted vaccination as a key strategy to alleviate the shortage.
The Tampa Bay plant relies on 7 to 9 tanker trucks of liquid oxygen weekly for disinfection and odor control—pure oxygen proving far more effective than air.
Around 20% of COVID-19 patients need oxygen support. Moderate cases with nasal cannulas require 1 to 6 liters per minute.
Severe hypoxemic pneumonia can demand up to 70 liters per minute per patient, equating to about 100,000 liters daily or four 30-liter cylinders.
