[Subjectivist]

While interesting the Salton Sea is a different situation, unlike Lake Erie it does not have a high enough water level to spill over and flush into the Gulf of California as it did during the last ice age.

At 3 AM the Mayor of Toledo announced that the ban was remaining in place because of 30 neighborhoods tested last night 12 tested clean, 16 tested acceptable but 2 tested as contaminated. The next set of results are expected around 10 AM local time.

[Tanada]

For those living far away from the western shores of Lake Erie a couple photos about the Toledo Water Crisis.
This is the intake for the Water Treatment Plant
http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/31/36/53/6679277/3/622x350.jpg

This is the water up close

http://www.toledoblade.com/image/2014/08/03/670x_b1_a4-3_cCM_z/CTY-algae04pThis-is-a-glass-of-alg.jpg

This is one of the lovely Metropark beaches that are normally swarming with people on warm weekends
http://www.underwatertimes.com/news5/green_algae_lake_erie.jpg

[Newfie]

I have read that a distinction between us and the other great apes is that they shit in their bed, but move each day to a new bed.

Humans shit in their beds, but use sewage systems to clean it up, thus can remain in one place and develop great cultures and civilization.

Or NOT!

http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... es-spread/

[Subjectivist]

The good news is the ban was lifted at 10:00 AM. The bad news is the local weather forecast is showing the conditions that caused the problem ill return late this week. Here is to hoping they are just as mistaken as all other long range weather forecasts.

[EcoloBlue]

I saw that we were mentioned years ago in this thread. But this Toledo incident is just one of many that make us realize that so many people are reactive, and not proactive, when it comes to their disaster preparedness plan. Those Toledo hospitals are a prime example.

[dinopello]

@Tanada - Nice pics. Looks like that Kale juice that people pay $10 a bottle for at Whole Foods.

[KaiserJeep]

The other thing to understand is that standards change with the acquisition of new knowledge. I have lived in the Santa Clara Valley since 1986.

When I moved here, the hazards of drinking water contaminated with MTBE and BTEX from leaking gasoline retailers were unknown. Now we know. Also, the Santa Clara Valley aquifers are contaminated with varying amounts of hydrocaron solvents used in semiconductor manufacturing, such as TCE and PCE. Then there is the legacy of explosives manufacturing which contaminated the aquifers with perchlorate.

All were found in unsafe quantities in drinking water here in the Valley. These problems were addressed and are being managed and monitored.

Meanwhile I have paid from $0.39 to the present price of $0.99 for a gallon of bottled water trucked in from Calistoga Springs. We are all healthy, but there was a cluster of teenaged girls in my daughter's girl scout troop who were not - all the tap water drinkers had arthritic knees. The problem was widespread in the South Valley. Now we understand why that happened.

[Subjectivist]

Just so people understand, Lake Erie was literally poisoned to death in the 1970's. we went swimming one weekend an noticed some dead fish washing up on he shore, when we went back the next weekend here were no swimming, bathing or drinking signs posted at all the beaches. The lake was very slow to revive but it is a mostly shallow lake under 200 feet in depth. As the dead water flowed down the Niagra river and over the falls to get to Lake Ontario fresh water flowing in from the Detroit, Maumee and Cuyahoga rivers plus a bunch of smaller rivers and streams was slowly restoring the chemistry. Then somewhere between 1986 and 1989 Zebra and Quaga mussels were accidently introduced from the Black Sea. All of the native shellfish had been killed off in the 1970's and the invasive species had a hugh population explosion filling the vacant ecological niche.

As a result the cloudy sediment filled water cleared in under two years after they were introduced and life returned to the lake abundantly. Unfortuately the mussels also plugged up a large number of feedwater pipes at water treatment plants and major water consuming industries like electric utilities.

Now 20 years later the water is so clear the Algae can bloom when a summer storm washes untreated sewage or field fertilizer out into the shallow shore waters. I heard on the news that a large percentage of Toledo city sewage never makes it too the treatment plant.

[Newfie]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I') heard on the news that a large percentage of Toledo city sewage never makes it too the treatment plant.

[Lore]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Subjectivist', 'T')he good news is the ban was lifted at 10:00 AM. The bad news is the local weather forecast is showing the conditions that caused the problem ill return late this week. Here is to hoping they are just as mistaken as all other long range weather forecasts.

[Subjectivist]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I') heard on the news that a large percentage of Toledo city sewage never makes it too the treatment plant.

[Newfie]

I have read that a distinction between us and the other great apes is that they shit in their bed, but move each day to a new bed.

Humans shit in their beds, but use sewage systems to clean it up, thus can remain in one place and develop great cultures and civilization.

Or NOT!

http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... es-spread/
ATTACHMENTS

download 2.jpg (9.85 KiB) Viewed 20 times

[Narz]

I just use a distiller, problem solved.

[Subjectivist]

Today the Toledo water department sent out a request for all customers to conserve water for the next four days while hey make repairs at the Water Treatment plant.

Not exactly filling their customers full of confidence less than 24 hours after lifting the ban.

[Subjectivist]

Toledo sewage treatment plant admits that after the big rainstorms last week raw sewage was washed out of the system without treatment for over four days.

http://www.toledonewsnow.com/story/2631 ... -last-week

[Subjectivist]

People are nervous and rumors keep turning up about Toledo shutting down drinking water again. The cut off level for Microsystin contamination is 1.0 ppbv and Saturday was 0.97 ppbv. People wonder just how significant 0.03 ppbv can be of an increase causing a ban on drinking.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he Toledo water plant’‍s increased use of chemicals to treat the water for microcystin toxin are responsible for unusual characteristics city customers may be noticing in the water, a Collins administration spokesman said Saturday.

The statement from spokesman Lisa Ward also said that the microcystin level in treated water at the Collins Park plant approached, but did not quite reach, the 1 part per billion threshold at which a do-not-drink order would have been issued before chemical treatment increased and cut the reading by more than half.

Ms. Ward did not say when the sample for which a 0.972 part per billion test result was received had been taken. Increased use of chlorine treatment afterward may cause a slight chlorine odor, Mayor D. Michael Collins’‍ spokesman said, while increased alum in the treated water is to blame for a “harmless” surface film people may observe on water in cups or containers.

“While the water is safe to consume, we wanted the public to be aware that we are dealing with an algal bloom situation and that since a test showed above .5 parts per billion, the Ohio EPA has been notified,” Ms. Ward wrote. “We will continue to closely monitor the level of microcystin and the levels of chemicals needed to provide safe drinking water.”

[Newfie]

Here in Philly, which is generally recognized as having some pretty good water, we had a turtle. I put in some feeder fish for times when we were away for extended periods. So one day when the water level was low, and I was changing out some old water, I put in some tap water. the feeder fish were dead in about five minutes.

I don't drink the tap water anymore, we run it through a filter and refrigerate it.