Unresolved issues
Though it's not completely over yet, Marion County's water crisis seems to be winding down at last.
Hillsboro has developed a sound method to filter out any blue-green algae at its plant. A combination of carbon filters and adequate chlorine should take care of anything coming into the plant, purifying the water for citizens to drink.
Marion is still working on a filtration system of its own, but there's no rush — they've got a solid backup water system in Luta Creek that's directly connected to the city water plant.
Out at the Reservoir, the blue-green anabaena algae blooms are finally dissipating.
So it's almost over, right? We can put this behind us and move on?
Not quite.
Many questions still need answering. Many problems still need solutions.
Because, in all likelihood, the algae blooms will one day come back.
Here are a few issues to consider.
Problem No. 1: Scientists have said that anabaena is present in lake water all the time. That particular type of blue-green algae was there two months ago, when there was no water crisis, and it will be there two months from today.
What made the algae dangerous was the nutrients that flowed down to the Reservoir from the watershed, causing the anabaena to "bloom." As one local biologist put it, their numbers exploded.
And the nutrients that made the anabaena grow — phosphorous, nitrogen — are still present in the watershed. A watershed that extends up for miles.
Those nutrients will keep flowing down the watershed into the Reservoir in years to come. The algae will bloom again.
Problem No. 2: There is no easy way to get rid of anabaena.
In the past, other lakes have used a copper sulfate compound to treat for algae. But according to scientists, the treatment loses its effectiveness with repeated use. More importantly, metals that remain in the lake after treatment can contaminate the lake, leading to fish kills.
Even other "algicide" chemicals that claim to be environmentally friendly could be toxic to the lake — something a drinking-water lake shouldn't risk.
Problem No. 3: There are no concrete numbers stating how much toxin should be allowed in public drinking water.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency has regulations for many substances, such as bacteria, metals, and chemicals. But neither the EPA nor the State of Kansas has any regulations dealing with algae toxins.
The guidelines that officials have been going by come from World Health Organization information — information from another type of algae (microcystis). And the toxins studies were done on animals, not humans.
How do we solve these problems? Start by determining hard numbers to regulate algae toxins in water. Urging farmers to use conservation practices so that fertilizer nutrients don't slide down the watershed.
These problems can be solved, but it will take time and energy.
— JENNIFER WILSON
