Officials urge ‘When in doubt, stay out’ of discolored water

If the water color looks a little off, don’t get in it.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources is reminding the public to steer clear of discolored water as we usher in summer and the warmer temperatures the season will undoubtedly bring.

Discolored would could be an indication of the presence of an algal bloom, certain types of which can create toxins harmful to humans, pets and aquatic organisms.

Such harmful algal blooms are indistinguishable from nonharmful blooms by mere sight. Blooms should be reported to your nearest DEQ regional office or online.

The state Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health encourages people to avoid contact with large algae accumulations. Children and pets should be prevented from swimming in or ingesting water in an algal bloom.

If you do come into contact with an algal bloom, wash thoroughly.

If your child becomes ill after being in waters containing an algal bloom, get medical care immediately.

Pets that may have come into contact with a bloom should be rinsed off with clean water. Pets that appear to stumble, stagger, or collapse after being in a pond, lake or river should receive immediate veterinary care.

Additional information on the potential health effects from algal blooms is available on the state health department’s website.

Agal blooms can have the appearance of spilled paint on a water’s surface, where colors may be bright green, red, brown or blue. They can also look like mats, or dense, macroscopic growths floating on the water surface, and can appear as discoloration throughout the water column.

Although algae naturally occur in all waterbodies, certain environmental conditions, including increased nutrients, elevated temperatures, increased sunlight and low or no water flow, can prompt rapid algal cell growth that causes algal blooms.

Wind and wave action can move blooms and decaying algae may create a strong, foul odor.

Algal bloom events that have been reported may be viewed at the Division of Water Resources’ Fish Kill & Algal Bloom Dashboard. Additional information about algal blooms is available on the division website.

The public is also reminded to take precautions to avoid recreational water illness caused by other microorganisms or pollution in waterbodies.