Warning signs posted in Inverness after potentially toxic algae found in water
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THE public in part of Inverness has been warned about potentially toxic blue-green algae in a local water system.
Warning signs have been posted at Woodside Village, Westhill, Inverness, close to Les Enfants Nursery and beside a children’s playpark.
Councillor Duncan Macpherson, Inverness South, said: "The signs warn people to take extra precautions while out with their children or walking with pets, after this a rise in reports of potentially toxic blue-green algae."
The affected area is at a SUDS pond (Sustainable Urban Drainage System), at Woodside Village, Westhill, close to Les Enfants Nursery and beside a children’s playpark.
Contact with the algae can cause serious harm animals if left untreated and can cause rashes and illness to humans.
One public notice reads: "The public are advised that it is a sensible precaution for humans and animals not to consume the water and to avoid contact with the water where possible."
Algal blooms are usually the result of a nutrient, like nitrogen or phosphorus from fertilizer run-off, entering the aquatic system and causing excessive growth of algae, and are more common in the summer. An algal bloom affects the whole ecosystem.
