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Algae bloom causes bad smell in Mission Viejo area
November 1st, 2009, 12:44 pm · 91 Comments · posted by Gary Robbins, science writer-editor
Monday update: This story is in the process of being updated by the Register’s Rashi Kersarwani. Look for new details soon.
We’ve been receiving calls and emails fromreaders in Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita complaining of a foul smell in their area. The odor apparently is coming from the Upper Oso Reservoir.
“The recent cold weather spell has affected the Upper Oso Reservoir,” says an online advisory from the Santa Margarita Water District. “During the summer the lake splits into two layers of water. The top layer is warmer during the summer and maintains adequate levels of oxygen, but at the expense of the bottom of lake. The bottom of the lake has cooler water and stays isolated with low levels of oxygen. During autumn, the upper layer of water gets cold, and eventually sinks to the bottom, raising the bottom water.
“This year the recent cold spell came with strong winds that mixed the water suddenly creating conditions that caused an algae bloom which used up the oxygen which resulted in odors. The District has responded by adding additional equipment in the lake to help return the oxygen levels to normal. The situation does not pose any health risks and the reservoir should return to normal within the next several days.”
The odor might pre-date the cold weather the county briefly experienced last week. A reader with the screen name Lizz says in an Oct. 31 an email:
“Our home in Mission Viejo (in Painted Trails) overlooks the Oso Reservoir. We’ve original owners and have lived here for 7 years. The water has been green for almost a week and the stench of sulfur has been going on longer; our throats burn. I’ve even stopped opening our windows b/c the house smells of sulfur. Is there a “toxic” level of sulfur or is it pretty much safe to inhale for children and adults alike? What about our pets? Are we the only
reservoir in Orange County encountering this problem? Does weather effect this?
“About 6 weeks ago, when my husband and I began to notice “green” algae around the edges of the reservoir (there’s a hiking trail behind our home that wraps around one side of the reservoir) as we took walks, I contacted the RSM Water District customer service depratment. A gentleman was kind enough to return my e-mail with a phone message explaining that they were aware of the algae and that it wouldn’t lead to any sulfur problems or dead fish (like they had about 2-3 summers ago–there were fish carcasses lying around the water’s edge for about a week and again, we couldn’t open our windows) like they’ve experienced in the past.”
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Allergies will go wild!
So that’s what is going on! Our neighborhood has smelled terrible off an on since Friday morning - depending on the wind direction. We’re nearly due west of Oso Reservoir. I thought we had a sewer break in the area.
Thank you for providing the answer. I, like Laura, thought there was a sewer break in the area.
an algea bloom would be an improvement for mission viejo.
I’ll send over my pool man.
A spelling class would be an improvement for you.
I googled the situation and learned that the odor given off from algae blooms is a toxic gas called hydrogen sulfide. It can cause CNS damage, among other problems, even death in high enough concentrations. I live downwind from the stench and I have been very angry about this since it began!
So then the question, Sherri, is: could this amount to a high enough concentration? What exactly *is* a “high enough” concentration? Such a question is a matter of scientific investigation, not something which can be deduced from common sense. Lots of things can be ‘toxic’ in ‘high enough concentrations’. (Geez, we exhale a ‘toxic’ gas every minute we breathe: carbon dioxide!)
PS: None of this algae bloom worries me. What worries me is the sheer amount of dihydrogen monoxide that exists in Upper Oso Reservoir. Did you know that dihydrogen monoxide is the major component of acid rain? Read more about the threats of this dangerous chemical here: http://www.dhmo.org/
(Tongue firmly in cheek.) : P
Plus if you breathe in too much di-hydrogen monoxide, it will kill you. We need to spread the word about this. It is much much worse than H1N1 flu. This stuff is everywhere. Including every home in America.
Wonder how many people are going to look this up? LOL
Just found out they even put this chemical in a lot of things we buy on a regular basis at the grocery store. How dare they feed our children this substance! What an outrage!
I don’t even have to look it up. I know what it is, very funny all of you! =)
We can smell hydrogen sulfide at 5 ppm, we lose consciousness and die at 700 ppm. But toxicity also depends upon how long you have been exposed to the gas, and this has been going on for days! If you are having headaches, eye irritation, burning throat and lungs, and coughing, as we have, it’s fair to say that we have been exposed to significant levels. The effects are going to be even worse for those with chronic respiratory problems. How much is too much? Read here: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/815139-overview.
… all true… drive by on the 241 and it’s an exercise in how quickly you can roll up the windows and close off outside air streaming into the car. It’s the strongest sulfur odor I have ever encountered….
Well, that explains everything. Our daughter lives near Marguerite and Santa Margarita Parkways in MV, less than a mile from the reservoir. She called us yesterday morning and told us she thought something had died in her attic/walls. We drove to her house and did some snooping around. I couldn’t smell anything, but my daughter and wife both detected something; however, the odor eventually dissipated.
What a skewed story, where are the “nutrients” coming from not mentioned here? There’s more to algae than just water temperature.
SMWD is being a bit shy with info here.
You could be right. Raw sewage is usually the culprit for algae blooms in seawater. Fresh water may be the same.
Let’s see… fish live in the reservoir. There is no outlet for the water, so it really is just a large stagnant pool as it just collects water. Fish don’t go to the nearest public restroom to go potty (unless you happen to know of potty trained fish). There fore, it all builds up in the bottom of the reservoir.
Well the water in that reservoir is reclaimed water (treated sewage water). So I assume that they are letting more untreated water into that reservoir and that is where the nutrients came from. There is a boy scout camp there also. The smell is so strong it makes you want to vomit.
I agree that this story is not very exhaustive. What causes this algae to grow in the first place? Which species of algae is it? Those are the kinds of questions the answers to which would make for really great science journalism. But I imagine Gary is on top of that. Let’s give the guy a chance to figure it out! I’m sure it’s complicated. But we’ll wait patiently for answers, Gary!
JR must be the self-annointed post monitor today. Sorry, I call em’ as I sees em’….
Phew! Can’t be my Dad because he’s out of town…..
I told the kids it wasn’t me.
Noticed this smell during a softball game Thurs night at Trabuco Hills High School, and then last night when visiting friends in the same area. We theorized that this was the wind direction picking up the scent from the dump off Portola in Irvine, but this explains it.
I live directly across the street from the reservoir on Los Alisos and the 241, Over the past couple months I noticed how bad the algae was getting in the reservoir…I had a feeling the smell was coming from the reservoir.
Oh sure, blame it on the algae !
It stinks!!!
Seriously, I am not sure why it took the Register this long to pick up on this issue, but SMWD needs to fix it quickly. I realize that the affected area is relatively a “small” portion of MV and OC as a whole, but that should not affect the speed at which this issue is corrected.
It is no exaggeration to say that it smells like a sulphur factory exploded when the dense, nasty smell moves into you area. Worse, it doesn’t stay outside. It comes into the house. It’s hard to breath, it’s hard to eat, and it ain’t getting much better.
PLEASE FIX THIS!
Does Gary “Science Dude” Robbins ever read these posts? I would like to know what he thinks about the noxious fumes we’ve been breathing for almost 5 days straight. there seems to be conflicting info out there about whether it’s harmful or not.
GARY?
Thank you for posting this information. We live near SM Parkway and Trabuco and have had to close our windows due to the stench. I too thought it was a sewer back up. I’m glad to know the cause.
Certainly, an odor this strong and noxious must have an adverse effect on any breathing creature.
More information should be forthcoming from the water district and/or county or someone, please!
Savanna,
Whether a chemical is harmful for you (and in what concentrations), is a matter of scientific investigation, i.e. experiment and analysis, not simply some deduction from common sense.
Oh Doug, will you please stop treating these comments like they are in need of more scientific information, and help get the issue straightened out???? Why all the pick everyone apart, when the real issue is the STENCH!!!!
Please note that the only comments I’m “picking apart” are the ones claiming that the real issue is adverse health effects from the gas given off by algae. If you want to make the argument that commenters are going off on a tangent, target your criticism at them. I actually agree with you: the stench is the major concern.
My comments are speaking to the wider issue of how our culture treats standards of knowledge (i.e. too many people jump to conclusions not warranted by evidence). I don’t think it’s improper for someone to comment on that.
I know what it is….Nancy Pelosi slipped into town !
I thought it was coming from the Mission Viejo City Council meeting!
There have been a number of residents commenting about this here: http://finkythekid.blogspot.com/2009/10/smell-that-ensnared-mission-viejo.html
Until the OC Register picked this up, that blog was the ONLY mention of it online.
You should check it out. It seems Santa Margarita Water District has been giving various explanations as to the stench. There are also very good theories as to what is the cause.
Personally I think the city of Mission Viejo should shut down irrigating the greenbelts until SMWD cleans up their act and the putrid, possibly harmful odor is eliminated completely. I think SMWD has been negligent in not turning on their “state of the art” solar powered fans that is supposed to avoid algae bloom situations.
I just spent a good amount of money on an air purifier, masks and scented candles in preparation for sleepless night number four. I would like to send them the receipts for reimbursement if indeed we’re all suffering because someone forgot to turn on these fans.
This sounds like what happened a year or 2 ago. As Cori alludes to, but what was not mentioned in the article was what they said before which was that this reservoir hold reclaimed water (non potable) for irrigation use. And yeah, for awhile it really stunk outside when they watered there in Casta del Sol.
It lasted for awhile and yeah, you didn’t want to open your windows too much.
I’ve moved away now, but I sure remember it before. And being that it is recycled water it might possibly have more nutrients in it than drinking water, although I think its supposed to be pretty well filtered and purified.
Upper Oso Reservoir the Salton Sea of OC.
Haha! Good analogy! Sad, but good.
Thank gosh that when I woke up at 4am this morning after yet again horrible night sleep number 4 .that I stumbled on that blog that was the ONLY info I could find……only after confronting my neighbor about a possible propane tank not being turned off, and then stressing that my house was going to fall into a huge sewer line broken/gone bad hole. This smell has permiated into my bones…it’s awful……candles are burning…air freshner is spraying…flowers are wilting……
I can’t stand this smell any longer I am pregnant and this is causing me to have constant headaches this has to be harmful to us all to be smelling this in our homes for over a week now! Why is no one doing anything about this? My husband and i both can not sleep at nights and I am terribly worried about what this can do to our baby. Does any one know if the effects are harmful? Thank you
Dawn,
Whether a chemical is harmful for you (and in what concentrations), is a matter of scientific investigation, i.e. experiment and analysis, not simply some deduction from common sense.
Dawn,
My apologies–I see that you do ask whether it is harmful. (That is my only point: it’s a question to be asked!)
We live in Painted Trails (El Toro and the 241) and our backyard looks over the Oso Reservoir and my husband and I are physically ill (I have burning eyes, nasal congestion, am sneezing constantly and have had intestinal problems since late last week…my husband is suffering from headaches and lethargy). To say that the overwhelming stench of rotten eggs is in the air is an understatement. The waters of the reservoir have been a puke green/gray color and the odor intensifies in the evening…God forbid we accidentally leave our windows open. In the morning when I go into my garage, it reeks of the odor and I even smell it when I run my car’s air conditioner. We’ve lived in Painted Trails since 2000 and never have we experienced anything this bad.
if you can’t stand the stench of the algae bloom don’t live next the upper newport bay as the can occur once in awhile but i know the smell it stinks but you can use to it. sounds like you don’t have to deal with this as often as it occurs in the upper newport bay from the NAC all the way to Jamborie, your lucky. can you smell the stench several miles away from the source? Great views the great stench. Why I wonder people want to come and live in newport next to the bay, its great until it starts to stink.
sounds like a naturaly formed Weapon of mass Destruction why the U.S. focuses on other countries when it happens all over our United states ever so often.
We have been contemplating calling a plumber, sure that our house was going to explode from the sewer tanks.
My dad made the comment tonight that he would rather take off his dirty underwater and put it over his nose than breathe this air any longer. I am tired of waking up in the middle of the night fearful that someone broke into the house and defecated on my bed.
After I posted my comment earlier, I started searching for more information about this algae bloom in the Oso Reservoir and how the water district says it poses no health risk.
The above article states, “This year the recent cold spell came with strong winds that mixed the water suddenly creating conditions that caused an algae bloom which used up the oxygen which resulted in odors.” Well, from what I have read, the smell results from the toxins released by the dying algae, not from a lack of oxygen in the water.
My question is, how can we be sure that this isn’t harmful? As I sit here and look at my computer screen through my burning eyes and once again start to sneeze, I wanted to post something I read on the CDC’s website. I wonder if the toxins release by the dying algae are becoming aerosolized and making us sick, especially those of us whose backyards overlook Oso Reservoir.
http://www.cdc.gov/hab/cyanobacteria/facts.htm
Background
Algae are vitally important to marine and fresh-water ecosystems, and most species of algae are not harmful. However, a harmful algal bloom (HAB) can occur when certain types of microscopic algae grow quickly in water, forming visible patches that may harm the health of the environment, plants, or animals. HABs can deplete the oxygen and block the sunlight that other organisms need to live, and some HAB-causing algae release toxins that are dangerous to animals and humans.
Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, grow in any type of water and are photosynthetic (use sunlight to create food and support life). They usually are too small to be seen, but sometimes can form visible colonies, called an algal bloom.
Cyanobacterial blooms (a kind of algal bloom) occur when organisms that are normally present grow exuberantly. Within a few days, an bloom of cyanobacteria can cause clear water to become cloudy. The blooms usually float to the surface and can be many inches thick, especially near the shoreline. Cyanobacterial blooms can form in warm, slow-moving waters that are rich in nutrients such as fertilizer runoff or septic tank overflows. Blooms can occur at any time, but most often occur in late summer or early fall.
They can occur in marine, estuarine, and fresh waters, but the blooms of greatest concern are the ones that occur in fresh water, such as drinking water reservoirs or recreational waters.
Some cyanobacterial blooms can look like foam, scum, or mats on the surface of fresh water lakes and ponds. The blooms can be blue, bright green, brown, or red and may look like paint floating on the water. Some blooms may not affect the appearance of the water. As algae in a cyanobacterial bloom die, the water may smell bad.
Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs)
are algae blooms that threaten people, animals, or the environment. They are dangerous for many reasons:
Dense CyanoHABs can block sunlight and use up all the oxygen in the water, killing other plants and animals.
Some cyanobacteria that can form CyanoHABs produce toxins that are among the most powerful natural poisons known. These toxins have no known antidotes.
CyanoHABs can make people, their pets, and other animals sick. Often, the first sign that an HAB exists is a sick dog that has been swimming in an algae-filled pond.
Children are at higher risk than adults for illness from CyanoHABs because they weigh less and can get a relatively larger dose of toxin.
CyanoHABs can make drinking water smell and taste bad.
They can make recreational areas unpleasant
How you could be exposed to CyanoHABs and cyanotoxins:
Drinking water that comes from a lake or reservoir with a CyanoHAB.
Drinking untreated water.
Engaging in recreational activities in waters with CyanoHABs.
Inhaling aerosols from water-related activities such as jet-skiing or boating.
Inhaling aerosols when watering lawns, irrigating golf-courses, etc. with pond water.
Using cyanobacteria-based dietary supplements that are contaminated with microcystins.
Receiving dialysis (this has been documented only in Brazil).
Get medical treatment right away if you think you, your pet, or your livestock might have been poisoned by cyanobacterial toxins.
Remove people from exposure and give them supportive treatment.
http://www.cdc.gov/hab/cyanobacteria/facts.htm
My last post of the night:
http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/A-Bi/Algal-Blooms-in-Fresh-Water.html#ixzz0VgFBweS5
Aquatic ecologists are concerned with blooms (very high cell densities) of algae in reservoirs, lakes, and streams because their occurrence can have ecological, aesthetic, and human health impacts. Blooms involving toxin-producing species can pose serious threats to animals and humans.
The term “algae” is generally used to refer to a wide variety of different and dissimilar photosynthetic organisms, generally microscopic. Depending on the species, algae can inhabit fresh or salt water.
Fresh-water algae, also called phytoplankton, vary in shape and color, and are found in a large range of habitats, such as ponds, lakes, reservoirs, and streams. They are a natural and essential part of the ecosystem .
Under certain conditions, several species of true algae as well as the cyanobacteria are capable of causing various nuisance effects in fresh water, such as excessive accumulations of foams, scums, and discoloration of the water. When the numbers of algae in a lake or a river increase explosively, an algal “bloom” is the result. Lakes, ponds, and slow-moving rivers are most susceptible to blooms.
Blooms generally occur where there are high levels of nutrients present, together with the occurrence of warm, sunny, calm conditions. However, human activity often can trigger or accelerate algal blooms. For example, in rural areas, agricultural runoff from fields can wash fertilizers into the water. In urban areas, nutrient sources can include treated wastewaters from septic systems and sewage treatment plants, and urban stormwater runoff that carries nonpoint-source pollutants such as lawn fertilizers.
Recurrent or severe blooms can cause dissolved oxygen depletion as the large numbers of dead algae decay. In highly eutrophic (enriched) lakes, algal blooms may lead to anoxia and fish kills during the summer. In terms of human values, the odors and unattractive appearance of algal blooms can detract from the recreational value of reservoirs, lakes, and streams. Repeated blooms may cause property values of lakeside or riverside tracts to decline.
Some algae produce toxic chemicals that pose a threat to fish, other aquatic organisms, wild and domestic animals, and humans. The toxins are released into the water when the algae die and decay.
The most common and visible nuisance algae in fresh water, and the species that are often toxic, are the cyanobacteria. A cyanobacterial bloom will form on the surface and can accumulate downwind, forming a thick scum that sometimes resembles paint floating on the water. Because these mats are blown close to shore, humans and wild and domestic animals can come into contact with the unsightly material.
Blooms of toxic species of algae and cyanobacteria can flood the water environment with the biotoxin they produce. When toxic, blooms can cause human illnesses such as gastroenteritis (if the toxin is ingested) and lung irritations (if the toxin becomes aerosolized and hence airborne). Toxicity can sometimes cause severe illness and death to animals that consume the biotoxin-containing water.
Some algal blooms in fresh water may only be a nuisance, but others can deplete dissolved oxygen in the water or generate biotoxins that are harmful to birds, fish, and other animals.
http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/A-Bi/Algal-Blooms-in-Fresh-Water.html#ixzz0VgFBweS5
How come other cities and water districts seem to have temperature changes and algae blooms under control? Besides, it’s not like we live in an area prone to extreme temperature changes. It’s Southern California for crying out loud. This seems to be a problem other cities handle without incident.
Those of us who have called Santa Margarita Water District have received varying answers as to the cause of the stench. You can see the several explanations from SMWD here: http://finkythekid.blogspot.com/2009/10/smell-that-ensnared-mission-viejo.html
I’m calling the city tomorrow to ask them to PLEASE, STOP WATERING THE GREENBELTS UNTIL THIS ALGAE BLOOM PROBLEM IS FIXED!
I live in Lake Forest off of Lake Forest and Canada area and you can smell it pretty bad down here as well, depending upon the wind direction too. There have been days it has been really bad, hopefully it cleans up here soon!
My son attends Trabuco Hills High, and the students were told last week that there was a sewer back up at the school. The restrooms and all plumbing were unavailable for a few hours. They were told that the problem stretched all the way to the reservoir. That seems to back up what others have theorized, that there was a sewage leak into the reservoir that’s causing the algae bloom. It’s bad enough that it occured in the first place, but I really don’t like being lied to by the water district.
What day was that, Heather? I live right by THHS and it was Friday morning I smelled….whatever. We’ve had the smell intermittently ever since…..probably depending on wind direction.
You could smell it on the 5 freeway this morning between Crown Valley Parkway and La Paz this morning too- I can only imagine how strong it is for people that live near the reservoir- blah!
Man, I hate this global warming and all the cold. 50 years ago, the temps in this region were much cooler. Now that we have paved streets and concrete buildings everywhere, it’s no wonder the temps are going up.
Drain it.
How come I don’t remember this happening in years past?
I smell a cover up….pun intended.
Our neighbor tried to blame it on the fog machines in our haunted house. Party pooper.
Now I know. I was driving on the 241 to a Halloween party in Coto on Saturday night and I thought something was happening to my car (catalytic converter failure, etc).
Wow, it was bad, I can’t imagine living along the 241 in that area right now.
I smelled it all weekend at my house in Ladera Ranch. It was awful but the worst was this morning on my way to work . Was really strong and my nose bleeds started this morning about 5am. Wondered what that was about, know I know. Feel like my nose was burned from chemicals of some sort and the smell was overwhelming on the freeway like they said above on Crown Valley as well.
Geez, and I thought that foul smell was coming from our hospital cafeteria! Seriously!
I like the Pelosi analogy too!!! haha
The Ayres Hotel had a Raw Sewage pipe break and has been dumping raw sewage into the resevoir for a couple weeks until it was discovered.
Someone has some splaining to do.
How do you know this? Is it fact or just gossip?
you have to pay extra for that lake view! ah, the rewards!
I drove by the lake this morning, and I can’t smell anything. I had smelled it at all times of day before, so maybe it’s getting better.
You can smell it in Lake Forest as well!
I don’t want to hear all the excuses about warm & cold layers causing the problem. Anybody who paid attention in General Science class in high school knows that. And they also know that all you have to do is circulate the water sufficiently to aerate it & you’ll minimize the problem. Install some circ pumps & run them, just like we have to do for our swimming pools. Couldn’t pass final inspection on a pool w/o a pump. How did this reservoir get to go ‘operational’ w/o sufficient circ? This is BS & smells like it too.
Of course they probably don’t teach such things in school anymore; they now teach how to install a condom on a banana instead. Apparently that’s more important.
Clay is the only one on this blog that has actually got it right. The others on here have talked about the problems that algae cause, or what the CDC has to say…but no probable solutions. Yes circulation and aeration is what will help fix this issue. Installing aerators will give the lower half of the reservoir the appropriate oxygen supply needed to assist the bacteria in growth. Algae growth and unhealthy odors are much easier to control when a problem is noticed upstream prior to hitting a reservoir. Now that the problem is within the reservoir, proper treatment will take some time to correct this problem.
I work in water and wasterwater and continually field calls re: customer complaints and inquiries. All of you that are affected by this need to continue to call RSMWD to see what is being done to correct this. I’m sure that the water district employees are working diligently to fix this problem, but as large as they are, they should have a public information officer to take these calls. It takes alot more than most people know to maintain a healthy water supply and some problems do not have text book solutions. As annoying as these problems can be, sometimes they are not resolved overnight.
My wife and I live less than a mile from this reservoir and I first noticed this smell around Oct. 22 when I smelled what I thought was rotten eggs when I left for work that morning.
The smell has only grown worse and only goes away during the day. As soon as the evening arrives, we close all our windows. The smell still permeates and can often wake you from your sleep. I thought my dog had gone to the bathroom in the house one night, the smell was so bad.
My worry is from doing some research online, these problems take more than a few days to clear….and considering that this has been a problem they were aware of for longer than a few days, and a person could smell for over a week now….my wonder is, what does the city and the Water District plan to do to make this up to the families that live near this problem?
thats easy get use to it people around upper newport bay have to deal with stench every so often. It never ends up in the news be glad this doesn’t happen as often as around where i live
send in as many pool maintance crews ast there are in orange county they must have enough chlorine, acid, and algecide to clear it up, but i’d not like to look at the bill, or the not through my neighborhood debates about trucks carrying chlorine and pool acid rolling through your neghboorhoods.
easy soloution buy a military grade gasmask, i’ve got 2 from the army surplus store on coast highway
my joke, sorry about that joke,
I know what the smell is like it happens in the backbay once in awhile, if happened more often you would get use to it. at least you don’t live close to yellowstone national park, that place can really stink, rotten eggs sulfur galore
Drove by it today and yes, it still smells. I also smelled it down by Trabuco High School
We were told by the SMWD that 1) Problem due to algae bloom in reservoir. 2) Problem due to a reclaimed water overflow.
We were also told last Fri. that it would take 48 hrs. to “take care of the problem”…we are still experiencing these toxic fumes early evening and increasing througout the night. We have experienced severe allergy symptoms along with coughing (even the dog coughing!), sore throats and ears. The odor is noxious, smells like a gas leak, and lingers in the house.
We have called SMWD, City of Mission Viejo, Fire dept. and OC Health department.
I thought the neighbor had put down some manure.
Is that water the same water going through the reclaim water sprinklers all over Mission Viejo?
I called and asked the South Coast Air Quality Management District about the smell on Friday morning (smelled it at Midnight Thursday and again that morning so I knew somethign wasn’t kosher).
The inspector who called me back suspected the reservoir as it had problems in the past.
I’d call them and complain. Maybe they can put some pressure on SMWD? (800) CUT-SMOG
This is what happens when you build on ancient tribal burial grounds…. Especially building a reservoir over the main grounds. Notice the little bubbles coming to the surface of the water…. The mud is stirring on the bottom, they are crawling out of their graves, The water is reviving the stench of their long rotting flesh, sending liquefied scum to the surface of the reservoir. They are coming for you….They will have their revenge. Have you looked into a mirror lately? As you breath in their evil stench, have you noticed that your skin is taking on a yellowish, greenish hue? With rough dark brown spots growing head to toe? You are turning into the evil algae bloom monsters from hell. You will become their servants. You will submit to their will. You will descend from the hill and extract unholy vengeance on all of Orange County. Nothing will stop you…Orange County is doomed…
I was told by the Fire dept Thursday there was a sewage problem on Los Alisos. As well as the the tempature change story.
ha- all very funny comments - but this isn’t a joke. The smell is horrible! The the “excuses” being given stink even worse. The lake was turning an unusual shade of green weeks before the smell started. It’s ALWAYS windy up here near the reservoir and usually cool this time of year - NONE OF THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN a surprise! A couple years ago it was a stench from a “fish die - off”, now this……. For 10 years there were never any problems — why has the management of the reservoir become so poor???!!!
Maybe there are dead bodies buried in shallow graves near your homes
I like the Pelosi comment also, but seriously I think we need some litigation to force the water district to be more pro-active in the future. Not any $ compensation now, that will just raise our water $ rates. This is a natural occurrence & the abatement is known. As the Nike commercial says ‘ just do it’.
Anybody know of a lawyer who handles public works projects? I think this is simple incompetence, or maybe dereliction.
Ah, essence of sulphur - the California dream
glen maybe you have solved the mystery of where all the pets go not eaten by bobcats, or coyotes. Though I’ve seen owners go bury their pets down there a rare occasion.
there is away to partially clean up your mess a community project; get pool nets and scoop as much of the stuff out as you can or just make money off it by selling it to power plants to burn,
as i did see an article about people growing algea then drying it out, turning it into pellets and selling it as another alternative to coal for power plants. in a popular mechanics article
I’ve been away for since Thursday. As I was driving up Los Alisos last night I could smell the stench stronger than when this all started. I live near Margarite and Santa Margarita. By the time I reached home I could not believe how strong the odor was. Don’t know how it’s been since I’ve been gone, but last night was awful. This morning I woke up with the worse dry sore throat. What in the heck is going on and when will it end!
Ok I smell it again on Marguarite/jeronimo area…anyone else…?
worse night yet, live on lake mission viejo, they sad a few days back in October… do they know what they are doing??… drinkable water?? ever hear of chlorine, dump several thousand gallons in there…. clean it over night, better yet throw the people in charge in there… the day they say it’ll be fixed!!!
Oh and one last thing…. think you could sell your house with that smell? I have a friend at channel 5 morning news, and at USA today, tempted to have them run a story on the worse smelling city in america… from the safest city last year to the smelliest… catchy title..
no one would move here…
OMG this is the worst smelling thing I have ever encountered in my life, im afraid to open my door at night because the smell is awfull and it makes my house smell horrible, I went and purchased some candles and air freshners because I cant stand it. WHEN WILL THIS END!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Something has to be done about this awful stench. It’s even worse now than it was 2 weeks ago. It’s so frustrating to come home every night to a reeking house and neighborhood. Not only can we not enjoy the outdoors, but we can’t even have fresh or non-stinky air in our homes. The horrible stench makes it difficult to breathe, even inside my own house!
It’s not just inconvenient, it’s a health hazard that at a minimum is negatively impacting Mission Viejo residents’ happiness and sleep. I think it’s likely to blame for the headaches, nausea, allergies, and nosebleeds that our community has been experiencing. It’s disgusting and it’s got to stop.
It is 12:41 in the morning and I can’t sleep due to the horrible stench in the air. This is ridiculous! I left town for three days last week, so I could breathe decent air, and then came back to this! This is the worst night yet!!! How can the water district not fix this problem????? Are they that incompetent? Dump some chlorine in the lake guys..lots of it! That will get rid of the smell! Forget the stupid pumps or whatever they’re using…THEY ARE NOT WORKING!!
I am so tired of coming home each and every day to this horrible smell!! It has got to stop!! You better believe that Rancho Santa Margarita is going to have some lawsuits filed against them. You can’t tell me for one minute that this smell is not a health hazard. I don’t believe it!
Another sleepless nite, going to sleep with the stench smell and waking up to it. It’s actually worsening by the day and the City of MV and the SMWD still remains silent & not doing enough. I agree, dump chlorine or something and bring in big equipment to get this under control.This has gone on far too long! We need help! They keep telling us it’s safe, it’s NOT! We are getting sick! What do we have to do to get help? Residents, please pay attention to our elected city officials who will be up for election next time around, and remember all this. I don’t believe this either, that it’s not a health hazard. Tell that to those that are suffering.
Welcome to the club! We in the Midwest have been having a terrible time with blue-green algae for years. Like many other problems, this one is caused mainly by human activity. Specifically, it’s caused by phosphorous which is carried to the streams and lakes in the runoff from the surrounding farms, dairies, housing developments, roadways, leaking septic systems, etc. Phosphorous is the chemical that causes and limits the growth of algae. When combined with the right level of heat, sunlight, water flow, etc. it blooms. We get our blooms in July and August and they are pretty well gone by October. They have been getting worse over the years and many of us blame it on the cows and corn which are almost impossible to regulate or govern in the agricultural community. It clearly has a negative impact on the community both in terms of health and economics. There are several studies showing an indirect relationship between property values and lake pollution. Our senator, Russ Feingold, is proposing legislation to study the problem to find out just how dangerous it is. We have not heard of any people dying from it but there is considerable anecdotal evidence of pets and cattle dying from it.
If your lake has surrounding development or agriculture, or fields, or even golf-courses that are using chemical fertilizer that may be the main source of the problem. Good luck.