MANATEE COUNTY – County officials say that new tests confirm the drinking water coming from Lake Manatee is safe.
In a July 18 press release, more than a week after attention was first drawn to the strange odor and taste in local drinking water, county officials said that the compound affecting the water is geosmin, not an algal toxin.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, geosmin is a compound, often related to the cyanobacteria Anabaena, that causes taste and odor issues in water related to blue-green algae outbreaks.
“While certain blue-green algae can produce toxins, it is important to note that not all blue-green algae blooms are toxic,” according to last week’s press release from county Information Outreach Manager Bill Logan.
Logan’s previous press release from the county on July 10 stated that tests showed the presence of blue-green algae at elevated concentrations in drinking water.
The algae bloom in the county reservoir, which provides water for a large part of the county, caused a musty taste and odor that persists, according to the county.
Local environmental advocacy group Suncoast Waterkeeper disputed the water’s safety in a press release on July 12, naming Anabaena as a health risk.
Independent testing done by GreenWater Laboratories showed that a number of cyanotoxins related to blue-green algae were not found in the water, according to the county.
The county is treating the reservoir with activated powdered carbon.
Algae blooms in the county’s drinking water are common, seasonal occurrences, according to the county, which advises the public to use a carbon filter on faucets to minimize the earthy taste of the drinking water.
