Blue-green algae has taken over the waters of Hamilton and Burlington, causing a smell one resident compared to “an outhouse left in the sun.”
The algae is present every year, but this year it seems to be more prevalent than ever before.
Councillor Cameron Kroetsch calls the issue “insurmountable,” citing climate change and the large amount of rainfall the area has received in the last few months as instigators.
A motion was passed at a Hamilton City Council meeting supporting a watershed action plan, aiming to prevent large algae blooms in the long-term.
However, there were no immediate relief actions planned other than to continue monitoring the problem.
In previous years, the City of Hamilton has used sucker trucks to vacuum the algae.
But in a statement to CHCH News, officials say “removing algae mechanically could also create airborne toxins that would put the public, and staff, at risk.”
For now, the smell is expected to last until the algae breaks down naturally.
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