Coordinated effort needed

Kenny Crandall
Lambertville
    Recent reports of algae (or algal) blooms in the Lambertville reservoir should not be taken lightly by any reader who relies upon the local water supply for drinking, cooking or bathing.
   The Beacon reported last week on the taste and odor problems in the drinking water caused by algae blooms in the local reservoir. What was not mentioned is that people are actually at risk when ingesting water contaminated with toxic algae from water reservoirs.
   Moreover, the treatment for killing algae blooms in reservoirs proves to be just as harmful to people. There is evidence that commonly used algaecides promote rapid die-off of algae cells, releasing harmful quantities of toxins after the water has been treated for algae.
   Toxins and secondary metabolites produced by algae are neurotoxins (i.e. endotoxins, anatoxins, and saxitoxins) and hepatoxins (i.e. microcystins and cylindrospermopsins). The health risk potential for algae blooms in the local water supply is very real. The toxicity associated with blue-green algae can cause neurodegenerative damage to humans and has been shown to cause amyotropic lateral sclerosis and Parkinson dementia (Carmichael 2005).
   Finally, I had no idea until reading the article that we divert water from the local canal as part of the municipal water system. It makes you wonder what deleterious effects to the water supply are occurring from people disposing of animal waste in the canal as they use it for their daily dog walks — not to mention the potential for salmonella contamination from duck and geese dropping in the canal’s waters.
   It appears current reservoir management strategies are reactive and inconsistent. Control of noxious algae requires a proactive approach to adequately protect Lambertville’s water resources.
   I would like to see a coordinated local, state and private effort to assess the true efficacy of United Water’s ability to remove existing contaminants in the local water supply.
   Readers must ask themselves whether our local water filtration and treatment system is sophisticated enough to cleanse the water of algae and other contaminants for safe drinking, cooking and bathing?