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Avoid blue-green algae during blooms: Health ministry

Jul 7, 2018 | 10:00 AM

Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Health and Water Security Agency are warning residents to avoid swimming or drinking water where blue-green algae blooms are present.

The algae blooms commonly occur during hot, calm weather periods in shallow, slow-moving or still bodies of water such as lakes or reservoirs, the ministry said. An algae bloom gives the water a “shimmering, foamy pea soup appearance,” which can be blue-green, bright blue, grey, or tan in colour, and they can last up to three weeks.

“Swimming in or drinking this algae-contaminated water can cause red skin, sore throat, cramps, or diarrhea,” the Ministry of Health said in a statement. “Caution should be taken when considering the consumption of fish or shellfish caught in areas of a water body where a bloom exists; in particular the internal organs of the fish should not be eaten.”

Pet owners and livestock producers were also cautioned to keep their animals away from water where blue-green algae blooms are present.