Aggregating 2013 stories about toxic algae bloom in Lake Erie

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 a period when over 7 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 - Jul 10 (19 days): 6.77 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