You can wait until blue-green sludge washes ashore. Or when a dense algae mat appears in the water. Or when you have to close a lake or reservoir, and tell irrigation users that the water is dangerous. But you’d be better off doing something about it now.
Still in the throes of winter, Utah water managers are trying to get ahead of the 2017 algae season. They’re asking for money to monitor lakes and reservoirs, and to fight the growing problem.
With forecasters predicting summer 2017 will be another record year for algal blooms, the time to act is now. The ideal time to treat algae is before it becomes an issue. If you wait, you could end up with taste and odor problems in your water, or even toxic health hazards.
Stop Taste and Odor Issues
Luckily, not all algae is toxic. But an algal bloom in your source water damages your system, even if it doesn’t kill wildlife and cause serious gastrointestinal issues for water users. Once that non-toxic algae starts growing, your water will smell and taste bad. Some blue-green algae cause a musty, earthy odor and taste in drinking water, even at low concentrations. Also, because water users hear so much about the toxic algae, they likely are terrified of any algae. And the last thing any water manager wants is to start getting complaints from customers. Preparing now for future algal blooms is your best defense.
Prepare for Toxins
Cyanobacteria, aka blue-green sludge, is the strain of algae (though not really algae) that’s toxic. But not every strain of cyanobacteria is toxic. And not all algae is cyanobacteria. In some cases, cyanobacteria may not start out toxic, but can quickly turn toxic. Scientists don’t understand what triggers the toxicity. But the chances that the blue-sludge in your water is toxic is between 45 and 75 percent. Having your defense ready to go when an algal bloom appears will keep your water safe.
Toxin Types
Though cyanobacteria produces different toxins, there are two that cause the most damage:
1) Microcystins: These toxins affect the liver. They’re the most common toxin type in cyanobacteria.
2) Anatoxin-A: This type affects the nervous system. It can cause memory loss, confusion, lethargy, muscle aches, and even death.
Be Prepared With the Best Blue-Green Sludge Defense
The best defense would be to keep nutrient levels low. And to keep summer temperatures moderate. Because without those two ingredients, cyanobacteria and algae don’t grow. But you likely can’t control either of those factors. And even if you could control nutrients, it takes years and a large budget to reduce levels. So your realistic best defense is a successful management program.
Our expert team at ATS Innova will analyze your situation and work out the best treatment plan for you. Our algaecides and bactericides sit in the water column, waiting to attack blue-green sludge as it forms, keeping you from ever getting into a situation you don’t want to be in. They’re also safe for people, fish, and other animals. With our decades of experience and highly successful and safe products, we’ll get your algae situation under control–before it ever becomes a problem.
Forecasters warn that summer 2017 is going to be a big year for algal blooms. Don’t wait to find a solution until you’ve got a bloom, taste and odor problems, and possible toxins. Start working on it now.
