Following the reports of algal blooms on Skaneateles Lake, the New York State Department of Health, Onondaga County Health Department, and the City of Syracuse Department of Water continue to work collaboratively to collect samples to determine whether there were levels of algal toxin that could impact the municipalities that use Skaneateles Lake as a public drinking water supply.
Samples tested today at the state’s Wadsworth Lab in Albany found 0.19 parts per billion inside the City of Syracuse Gatehouse located in the Village of Skaneateles. This level is consistent with prior reported sampling at the Gatehouse and below the health advisory levels for both adults and sensitive populations. This result is NOT representative of the water reaching any customers of the Skaneateles Lake public water supply, including the Village of Skaneateles. This sample is taken at a point which is still in the pre-treatment chain. All samples of water that are representative of drinking water reaching customers of the system, including the City of Syracuse, the Town of Dewitt, the Village of Skaneateles, the Town of Skaneateles, the Town of Elbridge, the Village of Elbridge and the Village of Jordan have resulted in non-detectable levels of toxin.
Residents in the Village of Skaneateles and the other municipalities which use this drinking water source can continue to drink the water.
The New York State Department of Health, Onondaga County Health Department and the City of Syracuse Department of Water will continue enhanced monitoring through daily testing across the system until all samples consistently return non-detectable results.
State and local officials will remain vigilant on this issue and continue our efforts to update and inform communities in Onondaga County.
