Water monitoring has confirmed that the level of cyanotoxin in raw water is below public drinking water values for vulnerable people. People on private intakes and in-home treatment systems on Siltcoos Lake no longer need to use alternate sources of drinking water. This replaces the Oregon Health Authority recommendation on October 19 that was based on detection of low levels of cyanotoxins in the water body about seven miles south of Florence off U.S. Route 101 (Oregon Coast Highway) in Lane and Douglas counties. Two consecutive water samples taken from the lake showed that the levels of cyanotoxins in Siltcoos Lake are below public drinking water values for vulnerable individuals and pets. Vulnerable individuals are defined as children 5 years and under, pregnant and nursing women, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems. This officially ends the sampling performed on the lake for this year. For information about cyanobacteria, cyanotoxins, exposures or illnesses (people or pets), health advisories and other related topics, contact the Oregon Health Authority at 971-673-0440, the toll-free information line at 877-290-6767, or visit the Harmful Algae Blooms website at http://healthoregon.org/hab and select “Algae Bloom Advisories.
