Solution to South Watuppa Pond algae problem could be costly

FALL RIVER — Whatever the solution to South Watuppa Pond’s persistent toxic algae bloom is, city officials warn it will likely be expensive.

“It’s a pretty significant problem that ultimately could have very, very high costs to resolve,” Community Utilities Administrator Terrance Sullivan told Fall River’s Board of Health.

The pond’s algae bloom attracted the public’s attention last summer when city officials advised residents against swimming or boating in the water due to the health side effects associated with a prevalent form of blue-green algae present in the water. While the bloom had been particularly bad in 2018, it’s been an ongoing issue in Fall River for decades, according to Sullivan.

“The South Watuppa Pond has gone into algae bloom for all of my 32 years here,” Sullivan said.

As for solutions, Sullivan said there are several avenues the city could explore. Because septic systems belonging to homes along the pond’s shore could be to blame, increasing inspections and getting homeowners to make upgrades to their systems could help. Sullivan also suggested expanding sewer lines into some of the neighborhoods surrounding the ponds or upgrading nearby cesspools.

No cost estimates were provided during Sullivan’s conversation with Board of Health members last week, though he reiterated that any solution would come at a high price to the city or individual residents.

“While I don’t think the algae bloom itself is reason enough to stop approval of septic systems, I believe we need to start working in a progressive manner to find a solution to the problem,” Sullivan said. “The toxic algae blooms are not going to go away and the addition of septic systems or failure of septic systems along the South Watuppa Pond are just going to contribute to the problem.”

The issue of the pond’s water quality was raised in city engineer JR Frey’s recent response to a resident’s request for a septic system at a Judge Street home. Frey said water quality did not influence his recommendation, though he added that the concerns “are worthy of further study and eventual consideration by the (Board of Health) for regulatory action.”

Sullivan told the Board of Health that he believed “many” of the septic systems around the pond are already in failure.

Septic system failures are being seriously eyed as a contributing factor to the algae bloom, but algae levels can also be elevated due to fertilizer runoff or decomposition of plant matter. Regardless of the cause, the potential health impacts remain the same.

Contact with the water can cause skin and eye irritation. Ingestion can cause stomach aches, vomiting and diarrhea. Inhaling airborne water particles can cause asthma-like symptoms.

The city’s swimming advisory for the pond was put in place last year after water samples taken from South Watuppa Pond showed the algae’s presence had spiked at 132,202 cells per milliliter of water. City officials said at the time that typical algae levels for similar bodies of water are closer to 70,000 cells per milliliter.

Because Fall River isn’t the only town abutting the pond, Sullivan said city officials should collaborate with counterparts in Westport and Tiverton to address the water quality issue.