TOLEDO, Ohio – The worry over another water emergency along Lake Erie is far from over.
That’s because the algae that left behind toxins contaminating the drinking water of 400,000 people in Ohio isn’t supposed to peak until September.
Water plant operators and residents who get their water from the western end of Lake Erie will be holding their breath over the next few months.
The chances of more trouble will depend a lot the winds, rains and temperatures that determine how large the algae grow and where it ends up.
Algae blooms tend to widen and spread out, meaning this one could migrate to another part of Lake Erie, said Laura Johnson, a scientist at the National Center for Water Quality Research.
“One of the complicating factors is that the [agricultural] runoff is causing this issue,” she said. “So, as climate change sort of becomes more prevalent in our region, we’re anticipating more heavy rainstorms, it’s going to be a difficult problem to fix. And so, if we can get ahold of it now, then we’re probably going to be better situated for the future.”
Massive runoff pollution from farm fields in the Maumee River basin causes toxic algae blooms in Lake Erie, which can create oxygen-deprived “dead zones” that can kill fish and sicken humans, according to Chris Moazed, chairperson of the Western Lake Erie Sierra Club.
Moazed says leaders need to take action to reduce the waste flowing into the state’s rivers and lakes, including tougher regulations for farm runoff.
It’s still not clear what role the algae-induced toxin played in fouling the water supply for the city of Toledo beginning Saturday.
Investigators also are looking at the city’s aging water supply system and how it operates.