Kara Hughes
Lambertville
Last week’s United Water account in The Beacon may contain the only facts on Lambertville’s recent water concerns that most locals have had access to. I found that story fairly free of data, light on details and somewhat misleading and wanted to round out that statement with what I’ve learned.
We were among the first to officially report the water quality issues that have plagued United Water of Lambertville customers for the past three and a half months. With a small group of dogged, committed neighbors, we have been in constant touch with our local water supervisor and DEP representatives, seeking information, sharing news, and pushing for activity since early October. It took months of making a nuisance of ourselves to gain clarity and action, but things are finally happening.
With the information we’ve gathered, I’d like to call-out a few misleading statements in the account and try to put the situation in better context for my friends and neighbors:
— “Blue-green algae blooms are not uncommon in surface water reservoirs and are known to produce a musty odor.” Sure, but that’s disingenuous, as the particular type of blue-green algae in our reservoir is very rare for this part of the world. It is so uncommon locally, that most testing companies don’t have the means to test for the presence of this algae, it isn’t yet counted in state or federal safety standards, and the EPA is still studying risks and remediation tactics. It’s called anabaena, is toxic, and is more typically found in Australia and South America.
— “In October, United Water successfully treated a bloom of blue-green algae in the Swan Creek Reservoir.” To the layperson, this reads as a statement of eradication. My understanding is that though diminished in concentration, blue-green anabaena algae was still present in the reservoir the week before Christmas, despite treatment and several freezes.
Why does this matter? Anabaena is a known neurotoxin and hepatotoxin, and serious illness and death of humans and livestock have been associated with ingesting highly contaminated water or swimming/bathing in it. The World Health Organization lists anabaena proliferation as a global public health concern that will hand-in-hand with climate change in the coming decades.
Is there good news? Thankfully, the best information we have today says that the concentration of anabaena in our source water is markedly diminished, and our treated tap water is free or nearly free of live algae. And that the taste and odor issues we’ve experienced have been a byproduct of the destruction of the organisms through treatment.
More good news: United Water’s new aeration system for the reservoir is in the works and carbon-filtration at the treatment plant goes online within the week, which should help defend against future blooms, and tackle lingering taste and odor issues. The DEP is pushing for more proactive testing, better detection, and faster, more transparent communication from UW to customers in the future. I’m hopeful that we’re finally on the path to better, safer, cleaner water.
While we wait for United Water’s direct communication to paying customers, I wanted to share the above to give a fuller picture of the situation. And to begin to raise the flag to farmers and other neighbors with untreated standing water on their properties about the introduction of this potentially dangerous algae to our local ecosystem,

