UTAH, June 15, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — The Utah Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Quality has started seasonal monitoring for algal blooms and waterborne pathogens that are harmful to people, pets and livestock.
Monitoring will take place at waterbodies throughout the state, lasting through October.
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) can develop when naturally occurring cyanobacteria in the water multiply very quickly to form green or blue-green water, scum, or mats. HABs can cause skin irritation, gastrointestinal illnesses, and in some cases permanent organ damage or death.
E. coli can make humans sick. It is introduced to water through fecal contamination and cannot be seen. E. coli can cause diarrhea, vomiting, cramps, fever, and rashes. Recreators are at risk for infection if they swallow water with high levels of E. coli or eat food after exposure without washing their hands.
People wishing to check on water quality states can visit the Division of Water Quality’s website, HABs.utah.gov or Ecoli.utah.gov.
The DEQ website will be updated within several hours of any advisory issuance (health watch, warning advisory, and danger advisory) or removal and will be updated within 24 hours of any routine monitoring results. Weekly updates are also posted on its Instagram (@UtahDEQ) every Friday afternoon.
Utahns are encouraged to regularly check the current conditions before recreating in water this summer. If a person thinks they have spotted a bloom, they should report it to 801-536-4123.
For more information on how water scientists monitor for HABs, check out this video and visit HABs.utah.gov and Ecoli.utah.gov.
