While Toledo, Ohio residents have got their drinking water back, experts say the algae bloom at the heart of the water problem shows no end in sight.

Considering that factors causing the harmful algae (including pesticide use, global warming and invasive species like mussels) have not abated, experts believe the situation could repeat itself soon.

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Still, the good news for now is Toledo residents and businesses have their tap water back.

Toledo mayor Michael Collins made the announcement as he took a drink of tap water in front of cameras on Aug. 4. Local drinking water should be safe for a short time at least, said Gary Fahnenstiel, a water quality expert at the University of Michigan.

Toledo and some surrounding communities with about half a million people use treated water from Lake Erie. However, blooms of Microcystis, a green-blue toxic algae, caused sudden increases in its microcystin toxin that was blown into water intake pipes by unusually high winds from an unusual direction. 

Pipes are seven to eight eight yards away from the lake water, usually sufficient to dilute algae toxins from entering the water treatment system.  

Water treatment officials resort to a series of measures to clean water taken from Lake Erie that goes into the Toledo municipal water system. They apply additional amounts of activated carbon at water intake pipes to scrub incoming water better followed by additional amounts of chlorine.

All well and good, but scientists expect the entire scenario to repeat itself in a few months. 

While the incident was historic in nature, it may be repeated in increased intensity in September and October, according to Ohio State water expert Jeff Reutter.

Freakish winds caused by climate change could blow overly-high levels of toxins back into the Toledo system or that of another water system using Lake Erie water.

Ruetter said he believed it very likely that other water intake pipes around Lake Erie would be affected some time this year.

Tagstoxic algae bloom, lake erie water, environmental issues, toledo, safe drinking water, water pollution, Disaster, Environment