Health Alerts Issued For 2 Polk County Lakes Due To Blue-Green Algae

POLK COUNTY, FL — The Florida Department of Health in Polk County has issued a health alert for Lake Smart at Hibiscus Drive and the area around the dock of Lake Rochelle due to the presence of harmful blue-green algal toxins.

The health department said the toxins were found in water samples taken last week.

Residents and visitors should take the following precautions:

• Do not drink, swim, wade, use personal watercraft, water ski or boat in waters where there is a visible bloom.
• Wash your skin and clothing with soap and water if you have contact with algae or discolored or smelly water.
• Keep pets away from the area. Waters where there are algae blooms are not safe for animals. Pets and livestock should have a different source of water when algae blooms are present.
• Do not cook or clean dishes with water contaminated by algae blooms. Boiling the water will not eliminate the toxins.
• Eating fillets from healthy fish caught in freshwater lakes experiencing blooms is safe. Rinse the fish fillets with tap or bottled water, throw out the guts and cook fish well.
• Do not eat shellfish in waters with algae blooms.

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