Burn ban added to renewed disaster proclamation
Renewing its local-disaster proclamation for seven more days, the Marion County Commission voted Monday to add a ban on burning because of the toxic algae bloom at Marion Reservoir.
If a large fire were to occur, firefighters might have limited amounts of water to fight it while Marion, Hillsboro and Peabody are having to rely on alternate water sources because of the bloom. Emergency Communications Director Shelley Abbott-Becker said that fire chiefs in Marion, Hillsboro and most other communities in the county had agreed the ban was needed.
Abbott-Becker said that she and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks thought the unusual, blue-green anabaena algae on the reservoir surface was "more dense than ever" as the water crisis entered it 11th day Monday.
Hillsboro, which provides water for Peabody, is relying on water trucked from McPherson and a rural water district to supply its water-treatment plant. Marion is using a temporarily restored connection to its backup water source in Luta Creek and is trucking water from Marion County Lake. Peabody also is augmenting its water supply with water treated from a well that had been its water source before it began using water from Hillsboro. Hillsboro will end up paying more than $17,000 to truck in water.
In addition to water from Luta Creek, Marion, which on Monday agreed to spend $10,562 for permanent Luta Creek pumps, can take up to 50,000 gallons a day from the county lake through the end of the year under terms of a permit from the State Division of Water Resources. Even with the removal of water from the county lake, the lake remains full and is releasing water, Abbott-Becker said Monday. The Kansas Department of Transportation is providing water tankers for Marion and Hillsboro. Marion County also has provided the City of Marion a truck and personnel on weekdays.
Local officials still had not received by Tuesday afternoon an eagerly awaited report on laboratory testing of water from the reservoir. Marion City Administrator David Mayfield had expected that report as early as Saturday. A professor from Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo., sent samples to specialized labs for testing a few days ago.
Throughout the algae situation, the state, which controls the reservoir water intake, has never cut off the cities' water supply. According to Abbott-Becker, this is because the Kansas Department of Health and Environment has no guidelines on dealing with anabaena, which has not been found on a Kansas reservoir in nearly 15 years.
Hillsboro officials decided to shut off their reservoir water almost immediately after the algae was discovered June 5. Initially, Mayfield gave the impression that Marion had used only stored water until June 8, when it briefly resumed taking reservoir water between the first and second anabaena oubreaks. However, he conceded Sunday that Marion had never stopped taking reservoir water until 1 p.m. June 11, a day after the second outbreak.
Reservoir managers were continuing Tuesday to limit swimming, wading, and other contact with reservoir water, and the public still was being advised to avoid consumption of fish from the affected area. However, boating and camping was being allowed in all areas of the lake, although cancellation fees for those who opt not to camp were being waived.
Officials continued to emphasize that tap water in all three cities was safe. Although the Salvation Army has offered free bottled water to residents, officials say no residents have yet requested any. On the other, local food stores reported over the weekend that sales of bottled water had in some cases tripled.
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius declared Marion County a disaster area Thursday to allow emergency response assistance to the communities.
"Our goal is to make sure Kansans have safe, clean water," she said in a news release. "This declaration will ensure that happens in these communities."
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers discovered the aggressive strain of anabaena algae June 5 near Hillsboro Cove. The bloom disappeared but became visible again June 10, this time closer to the intake across the lake that is shared by Marion's and Hillsboro's water treatment plants.
Residents of both communities and Peabody have been requested to conserve water and avoid watering lawns and washing cars as excess water may be needed for a fire emergency. Conservation, mandatory in Hillsboro and Peabody but voluntary in Marion, will remain in effect until the situation is resolved. Toxins released when this particular strain of algae die can cause several different problems affecting fish and shellfish and in some cases humans. So far, no such effects have been observed, according to Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
County Sanitarian David Brazil said Monday that the hepatatoxins within the algae did not cause contact dermatitis but that any blue-green algae could cause such problems. He urged people with questions to visit the World Health Organization's Web site at www.who.int/en/. Algae blooms also can affect the taste and odor of drinking water.
Ultimately, the reservoir will have to be treated — possibly up to eight times. Treatment will require money. County officials said Monday they expected to hear shortly from U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran (R-Kans.), whom they had contacted about arranging funding.
