Meeting at Auburn’s City Hall on Harmful Algal Blooms

AUBURN N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Auburn city officials, including Mayor James Giannettino and Council Representative Terrence Cuddy, and Toxics Targeting’s Walter Hang joined together at City Hall to discuss the ongoing issue of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) roaming in New York’s waterbodies, specifically Owasco Lake.

HABs in Owasco Lake threaten public drinking water supplied by the City of Auburn to more than 45,000 residents. In 2024, Owasco Lake had 88 HABs confirmed in that impaired waterbody.

Hang shared that these harmful algal blooms release toxins microcystins.

“Some people drink water right out of the lake into their lake cottages and homes. So Auburn has a very sophisticated system and they can treat the water, but they come perilously close to not meeting the health guide lines,” Hang said.

“Hot summer days create a breading ground for these blooms because its cyanobacteria do much better in warm weather,” Hang said. “So when it’s cold out, there are very very low concentrations, but now, in September, they are just growing at a fast rate. And if there’s too much phosphorus and nitrogen, they just explode,” said Hang.

A reoccurring issue in Central New York, and Hang is saying that the state isn’t helping with this ongoing issue–pressuring the governor to respond to their request.