Too much fertilizer, Ohio and The Villages

[kittygilchrist]

News this morning of toxic water in Ohio, where folks are being told not to drink their tap water. This they say is the result of algae growing in their runoff waters, caused by excess fertilizer.
The older ponds in the villages have the same problem, although that water is not recycled into our drinking water directly, it does go into our Aquifer.

I have a view of a new pond, which is beautiful and without the algae I see in many of the older ponds. Discussion?

[graciegirl]

I am not a microbiologist Kitty, but I believe it is being caused by an unusual bloom of a certain kind of algae on the section of shoreline of Lake Erie that intakes the water supply for the area. Sort of like the red tide near Tampa.It says that it is caused by an excessive flow of nutrients that feeds the algae into the water of Lake Erie. I think that there are all kinds of algae and the red tide kind doesn't affect us...so I feel worried for the Toledo people and not worried about us.

Well not much. But I even wonder what happens to the poop of the Dr. brought here to be treated with the Ebola virus.

Lake Erie algae bloom possible cause of toxin leaving half million residents without safe tap water | PennLive.com (http://www.pennlive.com/nation-world/2014/08/lake_erie_algae_bloom_possible.html)

[Uptown Girl]

I am not an expert either but I do know that hot summer weather can facilitate such algae blooms- sun, elevated water temperature makes for a perfect environment even without fertilizer runoff.

Just wanted to mention, for those interested, that the floating plant islands in some of our ponds in TV have been put in so that the plants can help draw the extra nutrients from the water naturally.

I was told it is being done in partnership with the U/F horticulture dept. and research is being logged for review.
That's cool.

Of course, proper use of any fertilizer is always important. Getting individuals to go along with the program is not easy. There will always be those who do what they want- no matter the guidelines.
The old.. "If a little is good, a lot is better"- hardhead way of thinking.

[Kahuna32162]

We have family in Toledo who are describing a very surreal situation. Of course the demand for bottled water is high, even to the point of some black market profiteering. Restaurants are closed and the stores are all selling out of foods that can be prepared without water. There is a real crisis at the Zoo, where many animals either depend on or live in water based habitats. This toxin also can affect animals.

[CFrance]

I am not a microbiologist Kitty, but I believe it is being caused by an unusual bloom of a certain kind of algae on the section of shoreline of Lake Erie that intakes the water supply for the area. Sort of like the red tide near Tampa.It says that it is caused by an excessive flow of nutrients that feeds the algae into the water of Lake Erie. I think that there are all kinds of algae and the red tide kind doesn't affect us...so I feel worried for the Toledo people and not worried about us.

Well not much. But I even wonder what happens to the poop of the Dr. brought here to be treated with the Ebola virus.

Lake Erie algae bloom possible cause of toxin leaving half million residents without safe tap water | PennLive.com (http://www.pennlive.com/nation-world/2014/08/lake_erie_algae_bloom_possible.html)
Off topic, but this morning's news says they are burning every single thing concerning the Dr. I assume that includes what you questioned. (trying not to say it this early in the morning...:loco:)

[pooh]

Not just fertilizer, Kitty....also sewage and other contaminants might be implicated.

[karostay]

The water in the Villages to best of my Knowledge I may be wrong comes from wells on site
I have often wondered since the Villages is built on porous lime stone about all the pesticides and fertilizer leaching into the ground water.
any thoughts?
Second concern has anyone that owns a pool ever used their test kit on the tap water.
Just curious as to what the chlorine reading if any would be the smell of chlorine is obvious when you turn the tap on.

[Jaggy]

Reading the news this morning gives me the chills.. water woes in Ohio.. Passenger on a flight from Sierra Leone collapses and dies after the flight landed in Britian, ( it may or may not be Ebola)..Mudslide in California..
etc etc.. Makes me want to go back to bed and put the covers over my head..

[The Buckeyes]

There is always an algae bloom on the western end of Lake Erie. Although not an expert I would say two reasons for the problem is that Lake Erie is a very shallow lake and runoff fertilizer from farming around the area. A few inland lakes in Ohio have had the same problem with toxic algae and almost all located in farming areas. Although Toledo is the 4th largest city in Ohio...western Ohio where it is located has numerous farmlands.

[sunnyatlast]

City dwellers who "organically farm" three patio tomato plants have no idea what farmers in America's Foodbasket in the Midwest have to borrow, spend, risk and endure to plant, nurse, cultivate, and worry about to bring the crops to harvest with flooding from All the frozen Great Lakes still thawing in June; wind and hailstorms flattening corn, wheat and oats a week before they are ripe for harvesting; pestilence infestation, blight and dry rot, etc etc etc.

I'd like to see some of the "experts" feed this nation and the world, using cow manure only, while vegans and PETA and others "saving the planet" claim cattle f*rt gasses cause "global warming" (in one of the coldest years ever), and cattle farming should be banned too. It would be a tragic comedy, except that world hunger would increase exponentially and our kids would be dying of starvation like the masses in Haiti, Chad, etc.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

I worked on golf courses for 35 years. I learned that 99% of the chemicals that are used on golf courses stay in the plant.

The USGCSA works very closely with the EPA and many golf courses have been given awards for being environmentally friendly.

I don't know for sure, but I highly doubt that golf course chemicals contribute to problems with the drinking water.

[jbdlfan]

We lived just 25 miles southwest of Toledo along the Maumee River. Almost every year we would have an issue with algae in our water from the river. It often became bad when we lacked rain. But this is crazy. My family told us that stores were out of bottled water all the way to Defiance, which is 35 miles away!

[graciegirl]

We lived just 25 miles southwest of Toledo along the Maumee River. Almost every year we would have an issue with algae in our water from the river. It often became bad when we lacked rain. But this is crazy. My family told us that stores were out of bottled water all the way to Defiance, which is 35 miles away!

It is frightening, and I keep hoping that some responsible news service will tell us it is a temporary thing.

[janmcn]

According to several news reports today, the water is now safe to drink for 400,000 people in Toledo.

[graciegirl]

According to several news reports today, the water is now safe to drink for 400,000 people in Toledo.


Good. THANKS JAN.