State of emergency declared for NW Ohio counties over water contamination

Fox8News ^ | 8/2/2014 | Shannon Carney

[EBH]

Gov. John Kasich says water will be flowing into the Toledo area from all corners of Ohio to help the 400,000 people who are being warned not to drink the city

[EBH]

Lucas County Health Department has posted this notice on its web site:

#Urgent Message from the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department

#Chemists testing water at Toledo’s Collins Park Water Treatment Plant tested for microcystin in excess of the recommended amount. Those who receive water from the City of Toledo Water Plant are being told not to drink the water. Alternative water should be used for drinking, making infant formula, making ice, brushing teeth and preparing food. Pets should not drink the water.

#Do not drink the water: Consuming water containing algal toxins may result in abnormal liver function, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, numbness or dizziness. Seek medical attention if you feel you have been exposed to algal toxins and are having adverse health effects.

#Do not boil the water: Boiling the water will not destroy the toxins. It will increase the concentration of the toxins.

#Do not have skin contact with the water: Skin contact with contaminated water can cause irritation or rashes.

#Keep your pets safe: These toxins can affect your pets too. Contact a veterinarian immediately if pets or livestock show signs of illness.

[EBH]

Also from City of Toledo Facebook page:

#Any method that the water can be ingested is not advised. This includes washing dishes, vegetables, etc. Filtration systems, such as carbon filters, will not remove the toxins.

#Please stay tuned for further updates, which will be provided as soon as possible, as long as the information is deemed as factual.

[EBH]

White Paper on Cyanobacteria
http://epa.ohio.gov/portals/28/documents/HAB/AlgalToxinTreatmentWhitePaper.pdf

[Eagles6]

Yes. Good point. We even get some down here in SW PA. Definitely worth knowing if it’s in the rain. If it is how would it affect the garden?

[madison10]

No terrorism. It’s a combination of weather, nitrogen, rain runoff and where the nasty algae landed: Toledo’s intake system. Oregon, Ohio and Monroe, Michigan, both which are on Lake Erie, are not effected.

Some radio stations said this should be handled like a Level 3 snow emergency which means “everyone stay home.” The water buying has been insane.

[madison10]

Yes, they were paying attention. Just last week the EPA and Toledo said the water was just fine, oh, and they raised the water/sewer rates.

Monroe, Michigan tests the water weekly.

[madison10]

Just a question. None of this would have anything to do with the deep salt mines under Detroit/Lake Erie? Releasing any weird gases or radiation? Just asking

No, more to do with what the Maumee River dumps into Lake Erie. It has rained quite a bit in the last week or so after a long dry spell and there is runoff.

[Engedi]

Talk to my Brother down in Toledo; they can’t even shower with the water, no boiling, etc. He said stores are raising prices for bottled water in the crisis to make money off a crisis. His friends went up to Ann Arbor, Michigan, they were out of water as well.

My husbands family lives in Perrysburg, Waterville, the outskirts of Toledo and they are affected as well.

More reason to get stocked up for emergencies.

[cripplecreek]

I’m about 30 miles east of Ann Arbor, I’d have given them some well water if they had something to fill up with. That’s really all they need to do is find someone closer to home with a well.

[Lurker]

Wow. Just wow.

[madison10]

...but CC they’ll cannot price gouge if they get water from your well. ;)

[madison10]

They’ll should be they. Sleepy.

[machogirl]

thanks for the info. reportedly people were saying the lake was ‘glowing’ before last night’s NO USE the water bulletin.

[machogirl]

If 1/2 million are under advisory not to even touch the water, will they be able to supply everyone in a timely fashion?

[machogirl]

Thanks. I wasn’t sure if there was storage of petrochemicals/gas (like the Bayou Corne salt mine storage) and perhaps there was some seepage and the Govt. was using the algae as the excuse.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

I did read the entire thread, and I want to add my own two cents.

I work in the pool industry. We routinely computer test our clients’ water to balance the water chemistry (for optimum chlorine, salt, non-chlorine). One of the test we routinely run for chlorine/salt pools is for phosphate levels. The last two seasons we have had remarkable 2500+ ppm phosphates reads on FRESH FILLS (new pools or pools getting replacement liners). This is tap water! We learned that our water authority (as many municipalities do) adds phosphate to our drinking water to (and this is the OFFICIAL term used in literature) “DE-GUNK” our old infrastructure. I cannot help but wonder if this routine procedure is ADDING to HABs like this.

Also, for the preppers, make sure you read labels if you use pool grade dry chlorine (shock) for water purification. ONLY calcium hypochlorite should be used—DO NOT EVER USE a tri-chlor shock for water purification to potable standards.

[PA Engineer]

We learned that our water authority (as many municipalities do) adds phosphate to our drinking water to (and this is the OFFICIAL term used in literature) “DE-GUNK” our old infrastructure. I cannot help but wonder if this routine procedure is ADDING to HABs like this.

I bet you are right. Years ago, I did some work on clarifiers. The curse to the sanitary departments was phosphates. That was the only thing in their process they could not remove and the big push was on to get it out of detergents. Those levels are insane. I think you are on to something more than the stock excuse of farmland runoff.

During college I also worked for a pool company in Pittsburgh. Did a lot of lab work. Testing was much more primitive and slower in those days. I can only imagine the equipment now.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Our computer testing (Pinpoint) is fairly sensitive. My employer has used several different phosphate testing methods (as again, we were/are getting INSANELY high phosphate readings. They ALL registered at the same levels). Worse concentrations, fresh fills. The multiple suppliers that we buy from have ALL had Phosphate Remover stock issues.

For places/areas/pool owners who don’t get water professionally tested, high phosphate levels (ie, no chemistry used to remove from suspension) it would be called “high chlorine demand.”

[machogirl]

http://algaeasia.com/2014/05/kasich-set-sign-ohios-first-big-step-toward-curbing-lake-erie-algal-blooms/

“[19th May, 2014] Gov. John Kasich is set to sign into law new agricultural regulations that mark Ohio’s largest effort yet to combat algal blooms on Lake Erie and other state waterways.”

Time to get Al Gore to divest himself of millions and scoop up the algae for bio-fuels.
http://www.algaeindustrymagazine.com/making-algal-biofuel/

[PA Engineer]

For places/areas/pool owners who don’t get water professionally tested, high phosphate levels (ie, no chemistry used to remove from suspension) it would be called “high chlorine demand.”

I'm glad you posted this for selfish reasons too. Had to drain our swim spa. We have a greenhouse and the lower level is for the spa. Roofers dropped 3 bundles of shingles onto the glass shattering one of the roof panels. Had to drain it and spent untold hours removing safety glass (from everywhere). That was a year ago and I was planning on refilling this fall. That would have been a shock to find out. No pun intended.

What are they thinking? Phosphates cannot be removed in the sewage treatment cycle. It is going to be pumped directly into the waterways. I think you have identified the culprit in the blooms.