TOXICBLOOM
Dog lovers urged to keep pets on lead near infected water
The water at East Kilbride’s James Hamilton Heritage Park has been overtaken by a potentially fatal algae.
Now warnings have been issued to dog walkers who are being urged not to let their pets off the leash or go near the water at the visitor attraction.
South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture (SLLC), who manage the site, confirmed the return of the blue-green algae, saying the coronavirus pandemic had stopped them being able to treat the water.
In a statement, they said: “In the past couple of years we have successfully treated the water using a range of methods, in consultation with SEPA, which has proved effective.
“However, because of the current global pandemic and the restrictions we are faced with, we have been unable to continue with this treatment.
“We are hopeful that as restrictions are eased moving forward we will be able to resume our approach to managing the situation.”
The loch is currently a hotspot for dog walkers and members of the public, utilising it as a place for exercise and responsible socialising during lockdown.
Notices have been put in place to warn people that the poisonous algae has formed in the loch, caused by consistently high temperatures.
Pictures of the water show a vast green coating of the algae, with one dog walker telling us: “It’s a real shock to the senses when you see it.
“I was scared to let the wee one off the lead, so much so that we left and did our
exercise elsewhere. I’ll not be back until it’s sorted.”
The common term for cyanobacteria, blue-green algae is a microscopic bacteria found in freshwater lakes that can produce toxins such as microcystins and anatoxins.
These can affect humans and animals that swim in and drink from the water, with common symptoms including vomiting, diarrhoea, skin rashes and eye irritation.
In severe cases, the toxins in the algae can lead to liver failure, comas and death.
Swimming is already prohibited at the loch and with COVID-19 restrictions in place, the popular water sport centre is currently closed.
The SLLC spokesman said that the algae“can present significant challenges in terms of management”.
But one elected member thinks more should have been done about the problem before lockdown was even an issue.
Expressing his disappointment at the return of the algae, Councillor David Watson believes treatment of the loch should have already been started this year.
He told the News:“This is disappointing as over the last few years action has been taken to manage the water.
“This has included both the use of a clay bentonite substance to cap the sediment to restrict the phosphates which support the algae and the treating of the water with a dye that prohibits weed growth.
“This work has been effective in the last few years.”
The last severe case of the algae occurred in June 2016 and it took until
April 2017 for a solution to be implemented, taking full effect a year later.
Linda Fabiani MSP called the reemergence of the algae“unfortunate” and said she hoped the leisure trust could use the current closure“as an opportunity to speed things along”.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) confirmed that contact with blue-green algae can cause“adverse medical effects,”urging members of the public to stay away from the water and keep dogs on a lead, avoiding the immediate area.