09-21-2016, 08:00 PM
I emailed the division of water quality and he was very nice in getting back to me.
This is what he said:
T,
You may be interested to know that something is being done. For the last 5 years we have worked with stakeholders to develop a strategy to control excessive nutrients -- the food source that is feeding these algal blooms -- in our lakes and streams. By January 1, 2020 all mechanical wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the state need to meet a 1 mg/l limit for phosphorous. That would result in a two-thirds reduction in the phosphorous going into our waters. That's not as far as we need to go, but it's a start. For Utah Lake that means the 6 WWTPs that surround the lake will need to be upgrade. Orem's WWTP is already meeting the limit and TSSD (that serves American Fork City) is close, but the others have a ways to go.
Thanks for your interests in this. We are working with these communities (and others around the state) to improve the level of treatment at WWTPs and to develop standards for phosphorous and nitrogen that will help prevent algal blooms. There is quite a bit of push-back, though, because removing excessive nutrients comes at an expense.
Thanks for your interest in Utah Lake. Feel free to visit our nutrient website where you can see what we're doing. And please send along to me and others any videos or pictures or observations you may have. The more folks are aware of the problem of algal blooms, the greater will be the interest in addressing the underlying problem.
Have a great day.
Walt Baker, Director
Utah Division of Water Quality
Followed Up with this:
T,
One thing I should have mentioned, as a result of your email we are sending a monitoring crew to the location to collect samples to determine the level of cyanotbacteria and whether there is a toxicity issue.
Thanks again for your help. Keep those videos coming!
Walt
So guys I ask this of everyone that fishes or hunts Utah lake, You see something being dumped into the lake from a feeder creek, river, box truck. Contact this guy.
FNF
[signature]
This is what he said:
T,
You may be interested to know that something is being done. For the last 5 years we have worked with stakeholders to develop a strategy to control excessive nutrients -- the food source that is feeding these algal blooms -- in our lakes and streams. By January 1, 2020 all mechanical wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the state need to meet a 1 mg/l limit for phosphorous. That would result in a two-thirds reduction in the phosphorous going into our waters. That's not as far as we need to go, but it's a start. For Utah Lake that means the 6 WWTPs that surround the lake will need to be upgrade. Orem's WWTP is already meeting the limit and TSSD (that serves American Fork City) is close, but the others have a ways to go.
Thanks for your interests in this. We are working with these communities (and others around the state) to improve the level of treatment at WWTPs and to develop standards for phosphorous and nitrogen that will help prevent algal blooms. There is quite a bit of push-back, though, because removing excessive nutrients comes at an expense.
Thanks for your interest in Utah Lake. Feel free to visit our nutrient website where you can see what we're doing. And please send along to me and others any videos or pictures or observations you may have. The more folks are aware of the problem of algal blooms, the greater will be the interest in addressing the underlying problem.
Have a great day.
Walt Baker, Director
Utah Division of Water Quality
Followed Up with this:
T,
One thing I should have mentioned, as a result of your email we are sending a monitoring crew to the location to collect samples to determine the level of cyanotbacteria and whether there is a toxicity issue.
Thanks again for your help. Keep those videos coming!
Walt
So guys I ask this of everyone that fishes or hunts Utah lake, You see something being dumped into the lake from a feeder creek, river, box truck. Contact this guy.
FNF
[signature]