Discovery of toxin produced by algae prompts drinking water advisory for West Palm, Palm Beach, South Palm
The discovery of a toxin produced by blue-green algae in its water supply prompted West Palm Beach to issue a notice that infants, young children and other vulnerable people in the city, as well as in the cities of Palm Beach and South Palm, should not drink tap water.
West Palm Beach will distribute water to affected residents of West Palm, Palm Beach and South Palm today through Monday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Gaines Park, 1501 Australian Ave.
In a press release released late Friday evening, the City of Palm Beach announced that cylindrospermopsin, a toxin produced by cyanobacteria (known as blue-green algae), was found in drinking water at West Palm Beach’s water treatment plant on May 20.
Elevated levels of toxin were also found in the raw water samples taken from the East Lobe of Clear Lake and the finished water in the sewage treatment plant that supplies water to West Palm Beach, Palm Beach and South Palm Beach.
Earlier this month, the city shut down taps that flowed into its main drinking water supply after finding algae in canals coming from Lake Okeechobee.
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Boiling the water won’t destroy the toxins and many will increase toxin levels, the press release said.
Infants, children under 6, pregnant women and nursing mothers, people with pre-existing liver disease, dialysis patients, the elderly and other vulnerable populations should use other water sources, the press release said.
While anyone can shower, bathe, wash their hands, wash dishes, flush toilets, clean and wash, infants and young children under 6 years of age should be monitored while bathing and other activities related to tap water to prevent accidental ingestion of water ” According to the press release.
Animals are also at risk, so pet owners should avoid giving them tap water and contact a veterinarian if an animal shows signs of illness.
The city is taking a number of measures to lower cylindrospermopsin levels:
• Activated its emergency wells to feed groundwater into the surface water supply.
• Addition of activated carbon powder to the treatment system of the water treatment plant,
• Increased levels of free chlorine in the final stages of the treatment process and
• Will initiate a switch to a stronger disinfectant set by the US Environmental Protection Agency on Saturday to help lower toxin levels.
The city is also working with the Florida Department of Health and the Florida Department of Environment and the city’s Emergency Operations Center to rapidly lower levels of cylindrospermopsin in tap water.
Cylindrospermopsin toxin is different from microcystin, which in recent years has been the most common form of toxin seen in cyanobacteria or blue-green algae in Lake Okeechobee.
In contrast to microcystin, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, cylindrospermopsin is less likely to produce the tell-tale green foam on the surface of the water because the highest cell concentration occurs below the surface of the water.
West Palm Beach director of public utilities Poonam Kalkat said there was no outward evidence of the cylindrospermopsin toxin, but tests began to see it at low levels in Clear Lake on May 3. It had disappeared in subsequent tests but reappeared in a May 17th sample that was returned on May 20th.
Samples were then taken every day and the results reported to the Florida Department of Health and the Florida Department of Environment.
“The EPA has not yet established rules for this connection, although there are some states whose standards are higher than the EPA recommends,” said Kalkat.
Kalkat said the EPA says levels higher than 0.7 parts per billion can be harmful to human health. When the results turned out to be higher, state authorities began work on an opinion, which wasn’t finalized until late Friday.
The city’s report came out around 10 p.m., followed by an order from the DOH at 11 p.m. Calls to DOH and DEP were not returned immediately this morning.
“I just want people to know that this is a notice for certain vulnerable populations and that we are working very hard to get it done quickly,” said Kalkat.
This is the first time the city has dealt with a cyanobacteria bloom in its water supply that enters Clear Lake from the Grassy Waters Preserve before reaching the water treatment plant.
West Palm Beach is one of the few cities that uses surface water for water supply. It can become prone to algal blooms when the lake level gets low and the longer summer days allow light to penetrate deeper into the water column.
The city added water from Lake Okeechobee to its Grassy Waters and Clear Lake buoys. In late April, the city stopped supplying Lake Okeechobee after cyanobacteria were found in the canal that brought in lake water.
Kalkat said the cylindrospermopsin in Clear Lake grew likely due to the low water level and sunshine that saw little breakage with the delayed rainy season.
“It seems that algal blooms have increased in recent years and that could have something to do with hotter summers,” said Kalkat.
That year, blue algae bloom on Lake Okeechobee started about a month earlier than normal.
Because the lake dries to less than 13 feet above sea level, no discharges have been made into the St. Lucie Estuary, which can suffer from harmful algal blooms when sowed with seawater. The waters of Lake Okeechobee, which flows to the mouth of the Caloosahatchee, were reduced on Friday by the Army Corps of Engineers. The Caloosahatchee needs some fresh water during the dry season, but can also suffer from cyanobacterial blooms.
The city of West Palm Beach is now using its east and west well fields to fill Clear Lake. It had asked to use its eastern well fields earlier, but its South Florida Water Management District water use permit would not allow it until Clear Lake falls below a certain level, Kalkat said.
“We asked the district to allow us to use the eastern well field earlier, and if we could have got the water earlier, that might have helped,” said Kalkat. “We started yesterday (Friday) with the western well field to introduce more groundwater.”
For more information, call the city hotline at 561-822-2222 (TTY 800-955-8771).
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