It’s been hot this summer, even in Britain, and the scorching summer temps “have caused an explosion of toxic algae in British lakes.”1
In Cumbria, blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, has been found at Windermere, Ullswater, Coniston Water and Killington Reservoir. (Other lakes in Pennington Flash country park, near Leigh, Greater Manchester were also found to have the algae.)
We here in Florida know all too well what the toxic algae is capable of doing:
- skin rashes, eye irritation, nausea, vomiting, stomach pains, diarrhea, fever, headaches, muscle and joint pain, as well as liver and brain damage
- children are at greater risk than adults of developing problems because of their comparative lower body weight
- blue-green algae has also been blamed for the death of some animals
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But to make matters worse, Cumbria is currently in the midst of its worst hosepipe ban (no water usage from the outside hose) in six years and water availability has become such a problem that one utility company is considering using the infected water from the lakes. For obvious reasons, that would be incredibly dangerous. Especially given that the Environment Agency in the UK recently urged everyone to avoid the lakes in Cumbria due to the potential deadly algae.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr072kLol0w
They also warned dog owners to make sure their pets don’t run into affected lakes and rivers because exposure can cause diarrhea, seizures, or vomiting, which can eventually lead to death. A vet explained that “Within hours it can damage the liver and cause diarrhea, seizures, and vomitting. Dogs, in this heat, are more likely than us to ingest the toxins. They are drinking it, swimming in it.” 2
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But despite this fact, United Utilities are hoping to use the water from the infected Ullswater and Windermere lakes in order to top up their dwindling supplies. (They plan to filter out any harmful chemicals produced by the algae, but hasn’t yet explained how they will do that.)
“Utility firms have been slammed for putting profits before fixing water-wasting leaks despite Brits struggling through the most severe heatwave since 1976 – with temperatures hitting a 2018 peak of 33°C (91.4°F).
And household water bills rose by 40 per cent above inflation from privatisation in 1989 to 2015, according to the National Audit Office.
Water firm United Utilities said it had no choice to clamp down on domestic customers as they have struggled to supply demand in the UK’s longest heatwave in four decades.”3
The hosepipe ban on seven million residents in the North-West of England began on August 5th and is the first ban to hit England since 2012 when restrictions were brought in by seven water companies, covering 20 million customers.
