Why you should avoid water with blue-green algae blooms

Not all blooms are easy to see. Some blooms can cover part or all of a water surface and their appearance can be quite varied (e.g., pea soup or paint-like, small grass clippings, globular or bead-like, fluffy or pom-pom-like). Blooms can occur in a variety of colours including blue-green, green, brown, blue, white, and red. 

• Stay out of lakes where cyanobacteria blooms are visible
• Avoid swimming and recreational activities like paddleboarding, waterskiing, canoeing, kayaking or boating, which can splash water on your skin
• If you do come in contact with water in which there are blue-green algae blooms, rinse off with clean water
• Consider using an alternate source for drinking water if the bloom is in your drinking water source. Boiling the water will not remove any toxins. Contact your water supplier for more information
• Never cook, wash dishes or do laundry in water contaminated with blooms
• Consider providing pets and livestock with an alternative source of drinking water

Here are some of the most common symptoms associated with exposure to cyanobacteria:

• Headaches
• Nausea
• Fever
• Sore throat
• Dizziness
• Stomach cramps
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Vomiting
• Muscle aches
• Mouth ulcers, blisters on lips
• Rashes
• Irritation of eyes and ears

If you’re showing any of the symptoms listed and believe they may be from exposure to blue-green algae, please contact your health-care provider or call 811.

Beach owners and operators—cities, regional districts and private operators—are responsible for monitoring beaches throughout the swimming season to ensure they meet the Canadian Recreational Water Quality Guidelines. Our environmental public health officers work with owners and operators to help them meet guidelines and regulations.

Local governments may post algae bloom advisories and, in partnership with Interior Health, may test algae blooms for the presence of toxins.

Algae blooms are also variable, and conditions can change. Testing represents only where the sample was taken at the time of testing. There may be toxins present in other locations of the bloom that was not tested, or toxins may be produced later.

• What are cyanobacteria (blue-green algae)? (BC Government)
• Cyanobacteria Blooms (Blue-green Algae) (HealthLink BC)
• Report algae blooms online with the province at BC Algae Watch. You can use tools on BC Algae Watch to identify if a bloom is likely cyanobacteria
• You can also report concerns to our Environmental Public Health team
• Beach owners and operators should follow their beach safety plan when responding to cyanobacteria blooms

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