2015 microcystin levels

Detected in raw Lake Erie water near Toledo's intake crib, which is located three miles offshore from Jerusalem Township in northwest Ohio.

• Mon, Jul 27 = 0.5 ppb
• Tue, Jul 28 = 0.4 ppb
• Wed, Jul 29 = 1.0 ppb
• Thu, Jul 30 = 0.5 ppb
• Fri, Jul 31 = 0.0 ppb

Jul 31, 2015 Toledo Blade story :

The U.S. EPA in May [2015] said it is acceptable for people school-age and older to drink tap water with up to 1.6 parts per billion of microcystin in it.

Jul 30, 2015 Toledo Blade story

To put the situation into better context, consider this: Oregon produced safe tap water one day in 2013, when the raw lake water near its intake hit 100 ppb.

“We’ve regularly done over 50 ppb,” Mr. Wagner said, adding he “doesn’t start to get nervous” until the raw lake concentration is 10 to 15 ppb.

The Ohio EPA said it expects tests to be done at least once a week when the concentration in the raw water is 5.0 ppb or less. Above 5.0 ppb, the tests need to be done at least three times a week.

The tests cost hundreds of dollars. Just as importantly, they’re labor-intensive and take about five hours — distracting some chemists from day-to-day plant operations, Mr. Wagner said.

He said municipalities are “just throwing money out the window” when they test raw lake water that is 5.0 ppb or less, because that concentration can be easily managed by water treatment.

#toledo - #politics - #lakeerie - #water