After Algae Bloom, is the Water Safe to Drink?

When a blue-green algae bloom appeared in the typically clear and beautiful Skaneateles Lake last week, many wondered what caused the phenomenon, and if their tap water was still safe to drink. For Spectrum News Central New York, Syracuse Professor of Environment Engineering Charles Driscoll detailed just what happened to the lake, and weighed in on safety concerns.

“In terms of people who live in Skaneateles and take the water directly out of the lake, it’s hard to give advice, because different water supplies are at different depths,” he said. “Different people have different levels of treatment, and so I think that if people are concerned, they should drink bottled water.”