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Alum Treatment Update

March 26, 2006 

Since the summer of 2002, the HVA, Water Quality Committee, Finger Lakes Community College, Princeton Hydro, Ontario County Soil & Water and the Honeoye Lake Watershed Task Force have been working with the Town Boards of Richmond and Canadice to control the excessive phosphorus that fuels the algae blooms that periodically plague our lake in the summer.  As we all know, these algae blooms often smell and impinge on recreational use and enjoyment of our lake.  We have learned thru extensive scientific study and data collection, that these blooms are fed by the release of phosphorus from the rich deep-water bottom sediments in our lake during the summer growing season.  The safe application of alum in areas greater than 18 ft deep will “bind up” this phosphorus and prevent it from fertilizing these mid to late summer algae blooms.  This alum application will be totally safe and should last for 10-15 years (Alum is the active ingredient in many antacids and sold at Wests as a condiment used in the making of pickles). 

The good news is that this very needed treatment should take place in mid-to-late May of this year.  Since our last Grapevine, a final Environmental Impact Statement has been completed as a part of the SEQR (State Environmental Quality Review Act) process.  The findings, issued by Lead Agency Ontario County Planning, correctly identify that the application is safe for our lake.  This completes a process that began with a public scoping meeting in the spring of 2005, and a full public environmental hearing last August 31.  With SEQR complete, we have applied to the DEC for the necessary SPDES permit for the application, and the County has sent out Bid Requests seeking professional applicators.  This material is all available at the Richmond and Canadice Town offices, the Honeoye Public Library, and the HVA Website  (www.hvaweb.org). 

The alum will be applied by a professional applicator in a GPS equipped barge 6+ feet below the water’s surface in lake areas deeper than 18 feet.  The alum will appear slightly whitish as it slowly sinks to the bottom where it will mix with sediments.  Boat usage and other recreational uses of the lake can continue throughout the less than a weeks time the application will take to complete.  The only boating restrictions will be immediately around the barge as it is applying the alum.  To be totally on the safe side, we are suggesting that during the time of application, no one should use lake water to drink or cook with.  Alternate sources of drinking/cooking water will be identified and available for those requiring them.  Fishing and other uses of the lake can continue during the application.  

As the bidding process is completed and a professional applicator selected, the exact schedule will be set and the public and lake residents will be specifically notified of this schedule.  Newspaper ads, multiple mailings and posted notices will be utilized to identify clearly these few restrictions and guidelines for the period of the application.   The Ontario County Sheriffs Department will patrol to assure safety and security during the application. Before, during the application, and for several weeks after, the lake water will be tested and monitored at several points around the lake by FLCC and Princeton Hydro to confirm the effectiveness of the treatment and its ongoing safety. 

The HVA would like to thank all of you who have worked so tirelessly to accomplish this environmentally responsible treatment that will improve the water quality in our beloved lake.