Aggregating 2013 stories about toxic algae bloom in Lake Erie

#lakeerie - #environment

EPA - Blue-Green Algae and Algal Toxins

July 2, 2013 - NOAA news - NOAA, partners predict significant harmful algal bloom in western Lake Erie this summer

Aug 14, 2013 - Columbus Dispatch - Toxic algae spur warning at Lake Erie beach near Toledo

Water tests at Maumee Bay State Park beach last week found a liver toxin produced by the algae at a concentration strong enough to trigger a warning that swimming and wading are not recommended for older people, young children and those with weak immune systems. It is the first Lake Erie beach in Ohio where warnings have been posted this summer.

Elsewhere in Ohio, warnings are posted at beaches along Grand Lake St. Marys, the lake at East Fork State Park and Buckeye Lake in central Ohio.

Blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, are common in most lakes but grow thick feeding on phosphorus from sewage, manure and fertilizers that rains wash into streams.

In 2011, heavy spring rains that washed phosphorus off farm fields helped grow a record “bloom” of toxic algae in the lake. At one point, the algae fouled water from Toledo to Cleveland.

This NASA satellite photo shows a toxic-algae bloom in Lake Erie on Oct. 5, 2011.
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My rainfall data recorded at home in West Toledo this summer, during 19-day period when nearly seven inches of rain fell.

June 2013

• Sat, Jun 22 : 0.55 inches
• Sun, Jun 23 : 0.42
• Mon, Jun 24 : 0.05
• Tue, Jun 25 : 0.87
• Wed, Jun 26: 0.67
• Thu, Jun 27: 0.27
• Fri, Jun 28: 0.20
• Sat, Jun 29: 0.06
• Sun, Jun 30: 0.10
  • Total : 3.19 in.

July 2013

• Mon, Jul 1: 0.79 inches
• Tue, Jul 2: 0.02
• Wed, Jul 3: 0.00
• Thu, Jul 4: 0.00
• Fri, Jul 5: 0.10
• Sat, Jul 6: 1.50
• Sun, July 7: 0.21
• Mon, Jul 8: 0.76
• Tue, Jul 9: 0.15
• Wed, Jul 10: 0.05
  • Total: 3.58 in
  • Grand Total - Jun 22 thru Jul 10 : 6.77 in

National Weather Service data for Toledo Express Airport:

• Total rainfall - June 2013 : 6.35 in (ave is 3.57 in)
• Total rainfall - July 2013 : 3.94 in (ave is 3.23 in)

Sep 5, 2013 - WNWO Facebook post

HEALTH WARNING: Carroll Water & Sewer Dist. says Algal toxins were found in Carroll Twp water system. They warn residents SHOULD NOT DRINK THE WATER! Boiling water does not help. They are switching to a new source now and are flushing the water lines. In the meantime residents should buy alternative water for pets, brushing teeth, making baby formula, etc.

Sep 7, 2013 - Toledo Blade story

The chief toxin produced by western Lake Erie’s 2013 algae bloom spiked at such extreme levels along the Ottawa County shoreline this week that it knocked the water-treatment plant serving 2,000 Carroll Township residents offline.

Poisonous microcystin, the toxin in Lake Erie’s most prevalent harmful blue-green algae, microcystis, was found at levels of 3.56 parts per billion in samples drawn from the Carroll Township facility, Heidi Griesmer, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency spokesman, said Friday.

That’s 3.5 times higher than the 1.0 parts per billion threshold for drinking water established by the World Health Organization.

The discovery was a fluke: The Ohio EPA does not require Ohio’s shoreline communities to test for microcystin, even though western Lake Erie has been coated by scum almost annually for weeks at a time since 1995.

More from the Sep 7, 2013 Blade story about Toledo's water treatment:

Water-treatment plants operated by larger cities, such as Toledo, have carbon-activated filtration, greater capacity, and other advantages that allow them to remove the toxin more easily. But it’s expensive. Toledo has spent $3,000 to $4,000 a day just on that filtration, while sometimes spending more to knock out the toxin in other ways.

Carroll Township has a conventional ozone system that can be used effectively to combat the algae. But the toxin that accumulated near the plant’s intake was at such levels that it overwhelmed the township’s facility, Mr. Biggert said.

“It’s at a concentration in the lake that’s so high we can’t treat it,” he said. “We’ve never had one like this before.”

In Toledo, officials said Friday they had noticed an upswing in the toxin concentration at the Collins Park Water Treatment Plant, but said it was below the regulatory threshold. Sampling showed levels of 0.42 parts per billion in Toledo, still less than half of the 1.00 parts per billion limit.

The Ohio EPA instructs municipal treatment operators to take extra precautions when levels exceed 0.25 parts per billion, Ms. Griesmer said. Toledo officials said the city’s Department of Public Utilities has increased using permanganate, chlorine, alum, and carbon to fend off the toxin.

Sep 19, 2013 - Toledo Blade - Forum on algae threat is today - U.S.-Canadian panel to discuss report, take comments :

As toxic algae maintains its grip on Great Lakes tourism, property values, and public health, more state and federal officials seem to agree that farm runoff, sewage overflows, and other forms of pollution must be reduced at least 40 percent to put a meaningful dent in the problem.

The International Joint Commission, though, wants more aggressive target-reduction goals for the type of phosphorus that most quickly dissolves in the water.

“Common farming practices and also old sewer systems and climate are contributing to Lake Erie’s current problems,” said Lana Pollack, chairman of the commission’s U.S. section. “Our advice to governments pulls no punches because the science indicates that without major changes, especially in farming practices, we won’t see any substantial improvement in Lake Erie’s health.”

Plant operators have to spend more to treat algae-infested water. Those costs get passed on to ratepayers. In Toledo, the city’s water-treatment plant spends more than $150,000 a month each summer removing a type of toxic algae that thrives on excessive nutrients from fertilizers and sewage, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus.

80 percent of northwest Ohio is used by agriculture.

The frequency and intensity of storms is on the rise, too, causing the likelihood of more runoff. Jeff Reutter, director of Ohio Sea Grant and Ohio State University’s Stone Laboratory on Gibraltar Island, said there has been a 52 percent increase in major storms over the last half century. Those are defined as ones that have brought three inches or more of rain within a 24-hour period, he said.

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What about citizens preparing themselves, regardless of the natural disaster? Area residents should know that by mid to late July, the algae bloom increases in western Lake Erie, and it lasts for several weeks.

http://www.ready.gov/about-us

Launched in February 2003, Ready is a national public service advertising (PSA) campaign designed to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to emergencies including natural and man-made disasters.

I doubt the information regarding water preparedness is revolutionary, but it's been out there in many places for a long time.

http://www.ready.gov/water

You should store at least one gallon of water per person for three days. A normally active person needs about three quarters of a gallon of fluid daily, from water and other beverages. However, individual needs vary, depending on age, health, physical condition, activity, diet and climate.

To determine your water needs, take the following into account:

• One gallon of water per person per day, for drinking and sanitation.
• Children, nursing mothers and sick people may need more water.
• A medical emergency might require additional water.
• If you live in a warm weather climate more water may be necessary. In very hot temperatures, water needs can double.
• Keep at least a three-day supply of water per person.

Again, Carroll Township experienced a Lake Erie algae issue with their water supply in early September 2013. Why wasn't that a warning to Toledo residents?

The algae bloom occurs on Lake Erie each year in the late summer and early fall.

Sep 7, 2013 Blade story

The Ohio EPA does not require Ohio’s shoreline communities to test for microcystin, even though western Lake Erie has been coated by scum almost annually for weeks at a time since 1995.

Jul 26, 2014 Toledo Blade story titled "Algae season starting now, will continue into October"

Another .gov website, NOAA, issues predictions for the algae bloom.

Jul 10, 2014 - noaanews.noaa.gov - NOAA, partners predict significant harmful algal bloom in western Lake Erie this summer

Citizens living near this issue should probably be aware of this information. But we know more about Ohio State football and the Kardashians than our own local environment.

We could have digested the above info one to three weeks ago, and then decided on our own whether to increase our personal water supply, especially after considering what happened in Carroll Township about a year ago.

Maybe someone will create a new alert system that would at least be useful to cellphone users. I saw this suggestion somewhere. It would be similar to the Amber Alert system or the NOAA weather radio alarm system, and it would notify people about algae changes and possibly test results, assuming that it's possible to gather, synthesize, and distribute the information efficiently. It could be a daily digest that's e-mailed to subscribers during the algae season from mid-July to mid-October to keep people informed. Or a simple blog site that's updated daily.

Anyway, going forward, if it's only August 2, and we have this algae alarm and temporary water ban, and the algae season may continue into October, then...