Credit: Eric Sandy, Scene
A report by Tony Briscoe in the Chicago Tribune last month explained how “dead zones” in Lake Erie are leading to an increase in manganese levels in the local water supply. These dead zones, largely the result of dying algae from expansive algae blooms, are forcing Cleveland’s Water Department to experiment with treatment in real time to make water safe enough for drinking and clean enough to do laundry. 

The issue was covered in 2018 by Plain Dealer environmental reporter James McCarty, who retired early this year. But as climate change worsens, the dead zones will continue to expand. 

Dead Zones are low-oxygen areas formed when algae and other bacteria die, fall to the lake bottom, and rot. The amount of this bacteria and the corresponding size and scale of the dead zones have substantially increased with the increase in agricultural runoff and urban wastewater.

The dead zones persist throughout the warm weather months. Thanks to climate change, “warm weather months” are starting earlier and ending later than in years past, and occasional brown water has become expected in some communities near the lake.

The expansion of the dead zones affects the drinking water for the 1.4 million people serviced by the Cleveland Water Department. Manganese and other heavy metals are released into the water when the low-oxygen areas interact with the lake bed.

Manganese, the Tribune story reports, not only causes water discoloration, (and has led to warnings about laundry stains), “but also has been linked to permanent neurological issues.”

The story describes new monitoring efforts conducted by both the Cleveland Water Department and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), which have led to more accurate real-time alerts about increased manganese levels in the water supply.

On eight separate occasions in 2019, lakefront communities have been advised about hazardous water conditions. In one instance, on Aug. 26, 21 communities were alerted.

The story warns that larger algae blooms and longer summers will continue to exacerbate the problem, and that even with more research and better forecasting systems, residents remain concerned.

Sign up for Scene’s weekly newsletters to get the latest on Cleveland news, things to do and places to eat delivered right to your inbox.

This article appears in Dec 11-17, 2019.

Sam Allard is a former senior writer at Scene.

3 replies on “Lake Erie ‘Dead Zones’ are Impacting Northeast Ohio Drinking Water Every Summer”

  1. No, brain dead is still being in denial about climate change and its effects even though they’re plain to see, even to low brain function individuals such as yourself. Blue algae, cyanobacteria and other assorted nasty shit is now flourishing in our waters in the warmer months due to the warming of the worlds bodies of water thanks to water pollution and runaway climate change, that’s why people in Florida are now dealing with things like flesh eating bacterial infections.

    When will it be real for you morons? Maybe you and your family should go take a dip in these unusually warm, bacteria filled waters, and when the bacteria starts eating the flesh off of your limbs, you can explain to it how climate change is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese or whatever dumbass conspiracy theory you subscribe to in order to deny reality.

    Something tells me it won’t give a fuck what you have to say, and neither should anyone else. At this point, even single cell organisms have enough smarts to figure out that you’re either full of shit, in denial or just unbearably fucking stupid.

    Alternatively, you could be a fucking man and admit how wrong you’ve been, but we know that’s never going to happen. You’re a fucking child, and not even a bright one. Pathetic.

Comments are closed.