Brockton’s mayor said the status of Lake Rosalind should be “a top priority”
for the municipality.
On June 21 the Grey Bruce Health Unit issued a “do not use water” advisory
after blue green algae (cynobacteria) blooms were found on the lake.
The blooms look like paint spills and are usually green or blue-green,
although they sometimes may give off a reddish hint. The blooms produce
toxins that could be harmful to human and animal health.
Many lake residents rely on the water from the lake for household use.
“People have been unable to shower since then,” mayor Charlie Bagnato told
council Monday night. “They’re frustrated and we don’t know how long it will
last.”
However, Coun. Chris Peabody doesn’t think the residents are taking the
advisory as serious as they should be.
“There were people out on the lake on the weekend water skiing and
swimming,” he said. “They don’t see the bloom anymore so they think it’s
safe.”
However, both Bagnato and Peabody are concerned about the algae – which
contains phosphorus and nitrogens – appearing so early in the season.
“I’m sure we will have this problem all summer if things aren’t done,”
Bagnato said.
“The residents can help fix this themselves,” Bagnato said. “Phosphates
don’t fall from the sky, he added. The mayor said residents should stop
fertilizing their lawns, use phosphate free detergents, and stop cutting the
grass right up to the shore. He also said power boats on the lake add to the
problem.
Monday night the Lake Rosalind property owners executive met and passed a
motion calling on council to ban pesticide and fertilizer use around the
lake area.
“I was very impressed that LRPOA Executive met and discussed the issue,”
Peabody said. “They identified fertilizer use as one of the sources of
nutrients that permits algae growth. This is a good first step.”
The Ministry of the Environment is scheduled to take new tests sometime this
week.