Auburn mayor, environmental advocate slam NYS for 'negligence' in drinking water woes

The Cayuga County Health Department says low levels of toxins were found in drinking water for the city of Auburn and the town of Owasco. Samples collected Tuesday turned up low levels of microcystin with .23 micrograms per liter in Auburn and .26 micrograms per liter in Owasco. The acceptable level is .3.

The levels of toxins are fluctuating, with no toxins found late Wednesday afternoon. But officials want a more permanent solution.

For now, Cayuga County health officials say the water is still safe to drink, prepare food and shower in. The areas affected include the city of Auburn, towns of Aurelius, Throop, Mentz, Brutus, Montezuma and Sennett along with Springport Water District 2 and Fleming Water District 6. It also includes the villages of Port Byron, Weedsport and Cayuga, the town of Owasco and the Fleming Consolidated Water District.

It's prompting local leaders and a vocal environmental advocate to speak out, demanding state leaders and the governor do something to solve what they call a crisis.

Owasco Lake is the source for drinking water for 45,000 people in the city of Auburn and town of Owasco. But recent testing finds low levels of toxins in what's coming out of the taps there.

"It's a crisis and we have a government that won't deal with it."

Environmental advocate Walter Hang is sounding the alarm on an issue, he says, has been ignored by the state for years. "The drinking water for 45,000 people in Auburn is in peril. There's no dispute about that," Hang said.

The water is plagued by harmful algal blooms. The problem stems from manure runoff from area farms getting into the water stream with phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizing the algal blooms. "This is really the first time we know how close the water is to not be able to be consumed by the public," Hang said.

So far this year, Hang says there have been nearly 2,000 confirmed harmful algal blooms in about 203 bodies of water across the state including 135 in Cayuga Lake, 86 in Owasco Lake and 7 in the Owasco Outlet. "We're seeing them throughout the Finger Lakes at numbers that we've never seen before," said Auburn Mayor Jimmy Giannettino.

Auburn's mayor is a vocal advocate for fixing the problem. He's calling on the state to support a comprehensive clean-up plan. "To date, the state has been negligent. They have not listened to us. And here we are 8 years later with massive harmful algal bloom outbreaks," he said.

Exposure to high levels of blue-green algae can cause diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, skin, eye or throat irritation, allergic reactions or trouble breathing. IT can cause pets and livestock to die. "They've been begging Governor Hochul to clean up Owasco Lake, to eliminate these harmful algal blooms. And it's like talking to a brick wall," Hang said as he calls on Governor Kathy Hochul to do more. "They're voluntary. They're unfunded and obviously a failure. If they were effective, we wouldn't have harmful algal blooms," he said. "I just don't understand why she isn't jumping into action to solve this problem. And it's year after year after year."

CNY Central did reach out to the governor along with the State Department of Environmental Conservation, State Senator Rachel May, Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay and Assemblyman John Lemondes for comment.

Senator May issued the following statement:

"Owasco Lake is the canary in the coal mine for harmful algal blooms in the Finger Lakes. These freshwater treasures provide drinking water and economic opportunity for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. For my constituents who live near and depend on Owasco Lake, these persistent HABs are pushing the lake to its limits. The state's actions to protect Owasco so far are inadequate, and I will keep working to expand them. I secured funding to expand programs to prevent nutrient runoff into the lake and am glad to see funds available to upgrade Auburn's water treatment facility. In the Senate, I proudly authored and passed the Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring and Prevention Act to create a statewide framework for identifying, preventing, and mitigating HABs. But until that bill is signed into law, the state must actually work with local stakeholders to develop a watershed approach that keeps Owasco Lake -- and all the Finger Lakes -- lovely, clean, and healthy for all to enjoy."

Assemblyman Lemondes sent this statement:

"Access to quality drinking water is one of the most basic and fundamental necessities of any community. The reports of elevated toxins in Auburn’s drinking water are concerning and must be addressed immediately. Since 2017, our state has invested $5.5 billion in clean water infrastructure across New York. We must continue to make investments to ensure homeowners, businesses and schools have both a clean water supply and safe, reliable underground infrastructure to deliver it to them. I will continue to work with local and state officials to find a resolution to this issue and keep our community’s water supply safe and clean."