To the Editor:

A review of problems with the Budd Lake drinking water source in Fairmont.

1. Physical – Excess turbidity results from the water intake located on the mud bottom of the lake.

2. Chemical – The yearly blue-green algal bloom produces extremely poisonous cyanotoxins during filtration and fall die-off. Fertilizers, mostly from farm crop applications, increase the amount of nitrate in surface water, resulting in accelerated algal growth. When the algae dies-off, it removes oxygen from the water, which can kill fish and other aquatic organisms.

3. Biological – The lake bottom water intake has e-coli bacteria resulting from migratory birds defecating in the lake waters.

4. It is doubtful that the Fairmont filtration plant is adequately dealing with these problems using granulated activated charcoal filters. High amounts of the halogens, chlorine and fluorine are poisonous.

5. Fairmont water users have a troubling incidence of cancer and Parkinson’s disease. Some scientists believe “the following illnesses may possibly be linked to high nitrate levels: non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, bladder cancer, cancer of the digestive tract, diabetes, and some birth defects and miscarriages.”

Henry W. Roehler

Fairmont