How To Take Down Cyanobacteria In Utah

The biggest algal bloom in Lake Utah’s history cropped up in July, resulting in the closure of the lake for two weeks. Now scientists and policymakers are arguing over the best way to address the long-term problem.

“The state holds that cleaning up this waste is the path of least resistance if Utah wants to stop the algae problem from worsening. Other experts are less convinced, pointing to theories that suggest the problems on Utah Lake, the Jordan River and the Great Salt Lake are far more complicated — even an effect of global warming,” The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

Some voices say a nutrient crackdown could help clean up the lake, calling for a limit on the nutrient content of effluent, which is not federally regulated. Walt Baker, director of the state Division of Water Quality, made the case for cleanup.

“The current projection — assuming all other factors remain constant — is that as Utah County continues to grow, effluent discharge will account for more than a quarter of all the water flowing into Utah Lake by 2050, Baker said. He believes addressing this trend is the first step to limiting algal growth on Utah Lake,” the report said.

Baker put it like this: “Something needs to be done. In our belief, that something is to stem the source of food for the algae and remove nutrients from Utah Lake to a greater degree.”

But LaVere Merritt, a professor emeritus at Brigham Young University with an expertise on algal blooms, does not see that as a viable solution.

“To get to the point of starving the algae into submission, Merritt believes Utah would have to prevent about 95 percent of the phosphorus currently flowing into Utah Lake — from all sources, not just wastewater — from getting there. And that, he said, would be effectively impossible,” the report said.

Public health officials said at the end of August that high levels of potentially toxic algae remain on the lake, which was closed for nearly two weeks in July due to massive algal bloom that nearly covered the lake and sickened more than 100 people,” the Associated Press reported.

Toxic algae contamination can seriously complicate water service. Two years ago, a ban on water use in Toledo, OH, prevented around 400,000 residents from using their water for two days, CNN reported.

To read more about preventing toxic algae visit Water Online’s Nutrient Removal Solutions Center.