“Hop in the water, do an hour swim, kayakers, everything so they can kind of train for Ironman Louisville”, the store’s assistant manager Peter Reid said.
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Harmful algal blooms arise when there are excess nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen), sunny conditions, warm temperatures and low-flow or low-water conditions. There have been no detected microcystin toxins reported in the finished, treated water from public water systems which draw from the river.
State, local and national officials, who are working in conjunction on this unprecedented bloom, have advised people and their pets stay out of the Ohio River for now. “We really want to make sure the river is clean enough so we can have all of our swimmers get in there”. However, there are no detections in the drinking water.
Dearing Smith said the process includes adding carbon to the water to absorb any odors and toxins, coagulation to help gather particles in the water and chlorination to destroy any contaminants.
The cancellation is necessary due to concerns that some forms of blue-green algae can be toxic if ingested or exposed to skin. Not all algae is harmful.
Proceeds from the Great Ohio River Swim are used to promote the organization’s website for outdoor events and venues for adults and children in the region.
The Ohio River Valley Sanitation Commission says algae blooms were first discovered on the river last month in West Virginia and have spread downstream.
The state recreation advisory recommends people avoid contact with the water through swimming and boating. But those are lakes with still water.
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If contact has been made with water containing blue-green algae, wash off with fresh water.
