Toxic algae blooms in Skaneateles Lake have not affected Syracuse’s local water supply, county officials said.

“The water is being tested daily,” said Lisa Lenny, director of environmental health at the Onondaga County Health Department.

Water in Skaneateles Lake, which is located about 20 miles southwest of Syracuse, has been exposed to a form of toxic algae that can harm humans and animals, officials and experts said.

The lake is a source of drinking water for Onondaga County and the city of Syracuse. Exposure to the algae, from either swimming in or drinking the water, can cause serious health problems, Lenny said.

Skin issues could be an allergic reaction to the algae, she said. Drinking the water can cause diarrhea or serious conditions such as liver damage.

Greg Boyer, chemistry professor at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, said people who live near Skaneateles Lake have been buying bottled water.

Skaneateles water is also being mixed with Lake Ontario water and then treated with chlorine, he added.

To curb residents’ fear of algae exposure, Lenny said the county health department is testing the water daily and sending it to Albany. She said any updates on the water condition will be publicly released.

More than 50 bodies of water in New York have similar algae blooms. Boyer said these algae blooms are generally common and can form every year.

An algae bloom in Skaneateles Lake is rare, though, he said. A bloom has not formed there in 30 years, he said. There are three to four conditions in which algae blooms can form, Boyer added.

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Boyer said the conditions include: warmer temperatures, a source of nitrogen and phosphorus and a stable water column. He said all of these factors must be present, not just one of them, for algae blooms to form.

Harmful algae blooms in freshwater are called cyanobacteria or blue green algae, said Erica Ringewald, a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation spokeswoman, in an email.

Local political representatives have also taken notice of the Skaneateles Lake algae bloom.

“While the City of Syracuse has assured residents its drinking water systems remain safe, the severe threat of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) must not be taken lightly,” Rep. John Katko, R-N.Y., said in a statement.

Katko said HABs have affected communities at Owasco Lake, and now, Skaneateles Lake. Drinking water should be continuously monitored, Katko said.

Ringewald said the NYSDEC has advised people to not go near water that is discolored.

Boyer said if the water looks clear, then it is usually safe to drink or swim in. If the water looks pea green, people should stay away.

“It is your health, a little common sense” is necessary, Boyer said.

Published on September 26, 2017 at 10:52 pm

Contact Bianca: bmoorman@syr.edu