The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) is issuing a precautionary notice to residents of a blue-green algae bloom within Lakeshore.
The health unit states that initial lab results show a blue-green algae bloom in the Ruscom River in the area of Trepanier Road and Lakeshore Road 129.
While the initial chemical analysis doesn't show the presence of toxins within the collected sample, the toxicity may increase due to the algae identified in the bloom.
Residents on the municipal drinking water system can continue to drink the water. Residents that use wells that draw water directly from the Ruscom River in the affected area are advised not to drink the water unless they are routinely testing it.
Routine water testing is done by the municipal water treatment plant and at this time there are no concerns.
Blue-green algae are microscopic organisms that occur naturally in freshwater lakes, ponds, rivers and streams in the late summer and early fall. They are usually present in low numbers but can rapidly increase in warm and shallow surface water that gets a lot of sun.
These blooms can make the water appear bluish-green, can form solid looking clumps, and may contain toxins, called microcystins, that can be dangerous to human and animal health.