Warning signs are placed at major recreational areas. When levels decline the website and hotline will be updated and warning signs will be removed. I can't see any algae, is it safe to go in? Avoid contact with water if you suspect that it contains blue-green algae or looks unusual. Human contact What will happen if I go in water with high levels of blue-green algae? If you experience symptoms you should seek immediate medical attention.
Will boiling the water make it safe? The toxins cannot be destroyed by boiling water. Can I go fishing or eat fish I catch? Stock and Domestic use Can I still use the water for domestic use?
Human consumption includes showering, bathing, washing, cooking, ice making and drinking. What is the risk to animals? GMW does not guarantee the quality of the water it supplies. GMW recommends alternative water supplies should be used for irrigation, where available. If water is used for irrigation then stock should be kept away from recently irrigated areas.
Water affected with blue-green algae should not be used to water or wash edible plants. More information Latest alerts and advice: Visit the GMW blue-green algae page at or phone the blue-green algae hotline on 03 This includes ponds, wetlands and shorelines of fresh water lakes, streams and rivers. When the amount of cyanobacteria in a water body increases, a dense mass called a bloom will form.
Cyanobacteria blooms are natural. However, some human activities such as agriculture or a poorly functioning septic system can make blooms more likely.
Not all blooms are easy to see. Some blooms can cover part or all of a water surface and can look thick, like soup. Blooms may last days, weeks, months or all year, and can even grow during winter when water may be covered in snow or has turned to ice.
It is important to note that after a bloom has ended cyanobacteria can still persist in the water. If you are unsure about the quality of the water, contact your local health authority. Cyanobacteria can produce several types of toxins that can be poisonous to people, pets or livestock. You can be exposed to cyanobacteria by drinking water or by getting it on your skin during recreational activities swimming, boating or waterskiing, etc. During a cyanobacteria bloom, water will both look bad and may also smell bad.
This will likely discourage many individuals from drinking or playing in this water. However, some individuals such as young children may be less careful, or may be unaware of the dangers. Take special care to ensure that infants and babies are not exposed to water that is contaminated with cyanobacteria. The risk is particularly high for those who drink formula made with contaminated water.
Boiling water will not remove cyanobacteria toxins from the water. Do not expose plants that are grown for food to water contaminated with cyanobacteria. The toxins can concentrate on plant surfaces. Under certain conditions, blue-green algae can become abundant in warm, shallow, undisturbed, nutrient-rich surface waters that receive a lot of sunlight.
Blooms can also form on rocks, along the shoreline, and at the bottom of a waterbody. These are called benthic blooms. It might be a harmful blue-green algae bloom if the water is blue-green, green, yellow, white, brown, purple, or red, has a paint-like appearance, or if there is scum on the water surface. Photo gallery of blue-green algae blooms. Some blue-green algae can produce toxins, some do not. However, exposure to any blue-green algae blooms can cause health effects in people and animals when water with blooms is touched, swallowed, or when airborne droplets are inhaled.
Exposure to high levels of blue-green algae and their toxins can cause diarrhea, nausea or vomiting; skin, eye or throat irritation; and allergic reactions or breathing difficulties.
Immediately seek vetinarian care if noticing any symptoms in your animals. Learn more. Recreational exposures can occur while swimming, wading, fishing, or boating in areas with blue-green algae blooms.
Exposures can occur by swallowing water, contact with the skin, eating fish caught from affected areas, and when airborne droplets are inhaled. Exposures can occur during household uses of surface water that is affected by a bloom, such as showering, bathing, or washing.
Exposures can occur by drinking or eating blooms or toxins, contact with the skin, and when airborne droplets are inhaled. Health effects are not expected from recreational or household uses of surface water that is not noticeably affected by a blue-green algae bloom. However, it is possible that people who are more sensitive to low levels of blue-green algae might experience mild symptoms.
If you are on a public water system, your drinking water is protected by your local water supplier to address possible contaminants, including blue-green algae and associated toxins. Water suppliers are required to treat, disinfect, and monitor drinking water for their customers.
If contaminants are detected in your water supply above levels established to protect human health, you would be notified by your local water supplier and provided instructions.
0コメント