Full Text
Kathleen Cuddy, MPH Public Health Director Cayuga County Health Department 8 Dill St. Auburn, NY 13021 For Immediate Release: Wednesday August 15, 2018 Harmful Algal Blooms on Owasco Lake The Cayuga County Health Department would like to inform the public that Harmful Algal Blooms have been confirmed on Owasco Lake this past week. As a result of the confirmed HABs the Cayuga County Health Department will be following our sampling and monitoring plan by initiating weekly sampling of the water entering the treatment plants and the water that has been treated at the plants. At the same time, out of abundance of caution, both the City of Auburn and Town of Owasco water treatment plants have turned on their carbon treatment systems to mitigate the chances of toxins getting into the drinking water. In addition, the water operators at both treatment plants have been routinely monitoring for the presence of algae in the water entering the plants. Results from the first samples collected at the City of Auburn Treatment Plant and results from the first samples collected at the Town of Owasco Treatment Plant are non-detectable for toxins associated with harmful algal blooms in both the water entering the plant and the treated drinking water. Drinking water from the City of Auburn and the Town of Owasco remains safe to drink. Our weekly sampling and monitoring of the public drinking water will continue to occur and the results of those samples will be posted on the Health Department’s website. Please visit: www.cayugacounty.us/health, click the Harmful Algal Blooms tab at the top of the homepage. If conditions change and there is a need for more frequent sampling the Cayuga County Health Department will implement its enhanced sampling and monitoring plan. For more information regarding harmful algal blooms visit: www.cayugacounty.us/health and click on the Harmful Algal Blooms tab. Should anyone have questions, please call the Cayuga County Health Department at [PHONE REDACTED].