Company works to treat Cape Coral canals with blue-green algae

Reporter: Breana Ross Writer: Jack Lowenstein
Published: Updated:
Credit: WINK News.

Canals that had bouts blue-green algae in Cape Coral back in August are looking better.

Neighbors told us they just want to make sure ongoing treatment efforts work long-term.

Neighbor Mike Eads lives along the Makai in Cape Coral. About a month ago, it looked green, murky and filled with toxins that kept him and his wife from going outside. But he says, now, the water is looking clearer and getting back to normal.

“We think, over the last two weeks, that the canal is now back to 85% of what it was before all the tragedy hit,” Eads said. “We feel like we can be out here and be comfortable anytime we want to or need to.”

Eads says he owes that to the water treatment efforts. Solitude Lake Management treating the water on the Highlander and Makai canals. The company says it was hired by the city to focus on areas with potentially toxic Microcystis algae. The company says the treatment is safe for the environment.

“We’re performing a treatment with a peroxide-based algaecide, which is a really safe way to treat algae because there’s no residue to the environment, and it’s very rapid working,” said Bill Kurth, the director of South Florida Solitude Lake Management.

Eads appreciate the effort of the company to ensure water near hi, and his neighbors is safe and clean.

“It’s just really refreshing to know how far they are working on trying to solve the problem,” Eads said.

Solitude Lake Management says it hopes the algal blooms will slow down when the weather cools down. The company hopes the day’s treatment is the only one it will have to do to keep the canal clear.

Eads also hopes the treatment works and the problem never returns.

“They can get to the bottom of it and try to not let it happen again.”

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