Blue-green algae considered toxic
You can drink the water in Belleville… but coming in contact with the Bay of Quinte should be avoided.
That’s the word from the Hastings and Prince Edward District Health Unit.
An alert was issued yesterday (SAT) after a toxic blue-green algae appeared in the water.
Manager of environmental health, Dave Dodgson, says there’s a specific region of the bay that’s of concern.
He says the algae seems to be most active from Bayside in the west to Point Anne in the east.
The city of Belleville issued a statement saying the municipal water source is safe and they are monitoring the situation. Dodgson says while the municipal water supply is drawn from the Bay of Quinte, the treatment plant is equipped with good enough safeguards to make it drinkable.
Those residents who see the algae along the shoreline where they draw their water are advised that even boiling the water will not get rid of the toxins… and you should not use your water at all until further notice.
If your water is drawn from the Bay of Quinte by a foot valve or shore well, and you live “outside” the confirmed danger zone, you are advised that contacting a water treatment professional would be a precautionary measure.
The health unit and the city say they will keep the public updated through messages on their Web sites.
For a behind-the-scenes look at this story, visit the reporter’s blog at http://jenniferlester.ca.
