Alberta Health Services (AHS) has issued a health advisory for Moose Lake after discovering blue-green algae in the water.
According to the advisory, the algae produces a toxin that can cause illness in animals and people who come into contact with it or consume it.
“Symptoms depend on how people get exposed to it,” explained Doctor Kathryn Koliaska, a medical officer of health for Alberta Health Services in the north zone.
“If individuals get it on their skin, you can have some skin irritation, skin rash, those sorts of symptoms…If you're getting it in your mouth or if you're swimming or have a drink, then it can give you more stomach-upset symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, stomach ache kinds of symptoms.”
She added long-term or large amounts of exposure could lead to nerve or liver damage.
“It would be a much bigger exposure than just a splash in the water. Of course, we don't advise any of that!”
She said AHS is recommending people and pets do not swim in the water or drink it.
The advisory will be in effect until further notice and Koliaska said the algae will probably be present in the lake until the weather cools.
“We're seeing a lot of blue-green algae in a lot of different lakes across Alberta in the last week or so just because it's the right time of year and we've had some nice heat,” she explained. If you're going to get blue-green algae, this is the beginning of the season and then it continues until things start to cool down.”
With the AHS advisory came concerns that the Town of Bonnyville's drinking water may be unsafe but those concerns are unfounded.
“As the algae is a yearly occurrence in Moose Lake and the Town water is tested rigorously, Council is assured Bonnyville water is safe to drink and use,” according to a press release from the Town of Bonnyville.
Lyndon Lay, director of public works for the Town, said the presence of blue-green algae in the lake will not affect the town's water, explaining lake levels are high, keeping the algae away from the intake site.
“We've normally got between six and nine feet above our intake so it would have to drop considerably to really affect the intake at all,” he said.
The treatment plant is also more than equipped to deal with any algae in the lake, he added.
“This is a yearly thing with Moose Lake. There are a lot of lakes in Alberta that are nutrient-rich that have this problem, this is just the first time I've ever heard of them issuing an alert. But it's not a new problem. Our treatment plant has been dealing with this since it was built.”
Koliaska said though the water is not safe to consume straight from the lake, treated water is fine.
“People should not go to the lake and get water and drink it,” she explained. “They should also not go to the lake, boil the water and drink it, because boiling won't get rid of the toxin produced by blue-green algae.
“Community water systems are a completely different story because they have a much stronger process and there is a whole bunch of steps water goes through before it's fit for consumption. That's a completely different, regulated process.”
If the safety of Bonnyville drinking water changes, Lay explained, everyone will know.
“Alberta Environment and ourselves will be letting you know immediately. There will be emergency alerts, for sure.”
As for the lake itself, it's anybody's guess when it might be safe again.
“You have to use a little bit of common sense,” said Koliaska. “If water looks like it might not be too clean and fresh and pristine, you might want to use a bit of caution. It's better safe than sorry.”
