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Wednesday, 17 June 2009 |
By MIKE BURKHOLDER
Managing Editor
ST. MARYS — Residents wanting updated information on water quality in Grand Lake St. Marys can now do so via the Internet.
On Tuesday, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled a new site to help residents keep tabs on biweekly testing on the lake for a toxin associated with blue-green algae. The site — http://www.epa.state.oh.us/pic/glsm_algae.html — also has information regarding the algae and news releases issued by the EPA.
In May, the Ohio EPA announced elevated levels of a toxin called microcystin. The toxin can cause illnesses in humans and death in animals if water is ingested in large amounts.
Following a second round of testing, the city of Celina and Ohio Department of Natural Resources assumed responsibility for the testing, which will take place every two weeks and results will be published on the Web site. On Thursday, test samples taken at five locations showed varying results.
A sample near the intake tested at 28.9 parts per billion, down from 68 on June 2 and 82 on May 18. Safety Island testing resulted in a 72.2 parts per billion result, down from 73 on June 2. However the number is up from the initial test of 59 on May 18. A sample near Camp Beach registered a reading of 28.9, down from 59 on June 2 and 48 on May 18. East Beach also produced a lower reading with a 25.5, which is down from 55 and 72 respectively. West Beach yielded a result of 62.7, down from 67 on June 2 but more than the 56 on May 18. A reading of 20 is considered moderate risk according to the World Health Organization. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 15 July 2009 )
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