The Renfrew County and District Health Unit, Ontario Clean Water Agency and the Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks are investigating the discovery of a plant-like substance floating on and around the shore at Muskrat Lake. The substance is suspected to be a blue-green algae bloom. Results are pending to determine if the substance is a harmful algae bloom. The Ontario Clean Water Agency is also regularly sampling at the Cobden water treatment plant to ensure the drinking water is safe to consume.
Some blue-green algae blooms have the potential to produce toxins which may be harmful to people and animals. Direct contact with the toxin can cause skin irritation and if ingested in higher concentrations, may result in vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
The health unit advises people using Muskrat Lake to be on the lookout for algae blooms. If a bloom is visible, please take the following precautions:
- Avoid direct contact with the bloom.
- Avoid using the water in the vicinity of a bloom for drinking, bathing or showering and do not allow children, pets or livestock to drink or swim in the water.
- Boiling the water for drinking purposes should be avoided because boiling may release more toxins into the water.
- Toxins that may be released by blue-green algae are not removed by small scale residential treatment systems such as filtration, chlorination or ultraviolet light disinfection. Surface water is never a safe source of drinking water without effective treatment.
- Residents should not rely on water jug filtration systems as they do not protect against the toxins.
- Avoid cooking with the water because foods may absorb the toxin during the cooking process.
- Caution should be exercised with respect to eating fish caught in water where blue-green algae blooms have occurred. Avoid eating the liver, kidneys and other organs of fish caught in the water.
- On lakes and rivers where blue-green algae blooms are confirmed and visible, people who use the surface water for their private drinking water supply should consider an alternate, protected source of water.
The health unit will continue to monitor the water conditions on Muskrat Lake.
As of July 4th, there were no known algae blooms detected by health unit staff.
(written by: Rudy Kadlec)
