Back Lake Algae Sampling, Testing and Health Alert Advisories as of October 2014

Back Lake Algae Sampling, Testing and Health Alert Advisories
as of October 2014
Sue Davis with Thurston County’s Environmental Health described the processes as follows:
* Thurston County is required to follow the Washington Department of Health testing and alert
protocols.
* When Environmental Health is contacted about an algae bloom, staff take samples in areas with the
highest concentrations of algae.
* The samples are FedEx’ed to a lab in King County. Results are made available in 5 days. The delay
is largely due to the testing process. If the sample shows harmful toxin levels, a Health Alert Advisory
is published.
* Samples are taken and tested once a week following a health alert. When two successive weeks
show toxin levels to be safe (or algae has dissipated), the Health Alert Advisory is lifted.
* The minimum period for a Health Alert Advisory is usually 3 weeks.
* Many areas of the lake where algae is not present are safe during a Health Alert Advisory.
* Areas of the lake with algae should be avoided even when a Health Alert is not in effect.
* Algae testing results for Washington lakes can be found at: https://www.nwtoxicalgae.org/Data.aspx