Toxin in Ohio Water Leaves 500,000 Under State of Emergency

Not to bash Ohio but------There are extreme water conditions in Ohio. In some areas the water is so clean that trout can live in an underground stream, "Blue Hole, OH". On the other hand there are so many possible contaminates that you wouldn't let anyone wash your car with it. Old strip mines, old underground mines, agricultural run offs, residential runoffs such as lime and fertilizer, lack of sewage systems, contaminates from the rivers (remember when the Cuyahoga river caught on fire), contaminates from Lake Erie industries and transportation, "midnight toxic waste haulers and disposers", numerous industries located in areas they shouldn't be (many "grandfathered" in their location), industrial air pollution from power plants, ground residues being washed away by rain, many different water sources and many other actions or lack thereof.

I once had the experience of investigating a plant's waste water, located in central Ohio. They were failing to pass permits because of the pH. We took samples from the processing water and it was adjusted correctly. Finally we tested the plant's input water. It was out of range of 6.5-7.5pH because the water was coming in at 8.5. Non compliant water was from the city, the same entity what was fining the plant for out of range discharges. The city water that went straight from the source to the discharge was out of acceptable discharge pH range.

There are numerous potential pollutants in Ohio. They must continue to be aggressive in their efforts to prevent the origination of these pollutants at the sources.

Ohio residents--- No bashing intended. Simply stating the current conditions.

Good Luck, Old Salt

Alliance, OH, also has a water supply problem. They say theirs is caused by "MIBS" and a part of the treatment was activated carbon and ultraviolet light. Their supply is lakes, so also surface water. They have said it is not dangerous, but makes the water smell and taste bad. I don't know any details though.

Lehman57

When I was in Ohio bad water was not as disastrous as some might think. In order to maintain the good fluid contents of our bodies we would go to town and drink some more STROH'S Beer! All in the sake of health! When in Columbus there was Germantown, Cambridge the Brass Grill or the Raptus Cafe, in Zanesville the Zane Trace Hotel and especially in Minerva the Terminal Cafe. Also the beer had to be blue label and not that 3.2 junk! Can't remember which in Canton, Akron, Kent, Bowling Green, Toledo and several others so we must have been enjoying ourselves!

Good Luck, Old Salt

Moses had a similar situation.

Put the blue-green algae in a clear plastic bag, with a rock & straw ... problem solved!

Wholeheartedly agree with this idea, put all the sludge in plastic bags, with rocks, and leave them to consider what they are doing to the population with their pollutants. It means there will be jobs for the sensible among us. However, I am not sure if politicians, local councils and the bureaucrats are actually biodegradable.

What about a sand and peat filtration system? It may turn the water a cold tea colour, but I have found this to be really good drinking water. They make whiskey with that water, so it should be good. In Ireland we simply dropped a water pipe in a stream and fed the homes with the water directly as we had no municipal supply. No filtartion, nothing, straight from nature to the kitchen tap.

Nice blurb here....

http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/chemicals/cyanobactoxins.pdf

Second day ban continues.....no end in sight...

http://time.com/3074318/toledo-water/

More info on blue/green algae blooms....

http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/bgalgae/faq.htm

Our remotely controlled Columbus Group floating weed eater with the 4 sets of cutting/gathering fingers was proposed to clear rivers and dams of unwanted growth.
With some changes, it could be suitable to assist in the algae harvesting.
The 'funny' hull design is designed to condense for easy transport. Similarly, the 4 motor drives push into the hull. Below is a version to rescue swimmers that might get into trouble.

IHS does not verify or warrant the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site and, to the extent permitted by law, IHS shall not be liable for any loss, damage or expense incurred by reliance on it or for any dealings you have with users or other third parties that take place using or facilitated by this site.

sounds so cool

rctophobby

Funny that disclaimer is "on this site." A self-disclaiming disclaimer?

Of course you know you're responding to a bot....

OK it's safe......for now....
"Consuming water containing algal toxins may result in diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, numbness or dizziness. But the mayor has said the city hasn't seen any major medical problems as a result of contact with the suspicious water.

‪A person familiar with the matter said that the toxicity levels in the water have been dropping in tests since microcystin first exceeded some recommended levels for drinkable water Friday.

‪Under pressure from the EPA, the city issued its water restrictions when at least one test showed toxin levels around 2.5 parts per billion parts of water, this person said. None of the subsequent tests has reached the same levels, this person said. A World Health Organization standard is no more than 1 part per billion, but there are no mandatory standards on the toxin in Ohio."

http://online.wsj.com/articles/toledo-mayor-orders-more-drinking-water-tests-1407141074

I had the opportunity to be involved in a large scale fermentation process where the end-product was glucose oxidase. The yeast was supplied with all the conditions required to multiply to a point in the population at which the yeast plants produced by-products toxic to yeast plants. These dead yeast plants where then harvested.

And thus was born

Safely Repelling Dropbears Since 1922!

And it is no longer Australian. Vegemite, but I wont!

Oh the holy grail ... on toast ... Vegemite! Now you know the secret of we Australians and our strange ways ...and angry Koalas .... nah, that's because we cut down the trees specifically favoured by the Koalas who et the leaves in a semi-stoned state .... but we have to do this for coal seam gas developments. See, it's all as clear as mud ... or as clear as blue-green algae.
Now, if you could bottle the blue-green algae and convince the population that it was the best thing to spread on toast, well, I would imagine that Ohio will have a real money spinner on their hands. All I can say ... look out Colorado!

" ...if you could bottle the blue-green algae and convince the population that it was the best thing to spread on toast, well, I would imagine that Ohio will have a real money spinner on their hands."...

Ha, some have been trying for years....You may have heard of it, Spirulina....but you might want to watch out for the toxins and heavy metals....as it's unregulated...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirulina_(dietary_supplement)

I know that Weirton, West Virginia had blue-green grass - iridescent blue-green grass, in fact - and when the cows ate it, their teeth fell out.

The Midwest had some of the best, most fertile soil in the entire United States, but then industry moved in and, as far as Ohio was concerned, pretty made the whole state an EPA site. I mean, where else can you find a heavy-metals, toxin-belching steel mill - Mittal Steel - practically in the middle of downtown? Cleveland, perhaps - the Mistake on the Lake - where everybody falls asleep at traffic signals or whilst standing in line at bank teller windows? I've never seen such weird, zombie-like behavior anywhere else. People acted like they were sleepwalking. I saw this every single day.

One day, for instance, I watched the lights at a major intersection go through two complete cycles before anyone moved. They were either literally asleep at the wheel or, like sheep, watching to see what the others did, and only then respond, and only likewise. Two complete cycles. It was simply incredible.

Another time I saw a guy watching his kids on the playground equipment at a little park, watching them play whilst being totally and completely oblivious to the fact that his dog had been urinating down his bare leg for nearly a quarter of a minute. He never noticed anything amiss. Not once.

There is something very wrong with that place - even without the algae's help.

In Australia, they are known as 'Tasmanians', who reside on the island state at the bottom of the mainland that gets forgotten by many, including missing on the official swimming kit at the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Seems that the 'hoosya Daddy' factor and being asleep at the wheel is not exclusive to only some in the 50 States. Now, I have a bottle of this delicious green stuff ... and a song that might go with it ...Flanders & Swann Have some madeira M'Dear