Officials behind the upcoming ITU World Triathlon said they were prepared, after Alberta Health Services (AHS) issued an alert over blue-green algae found in the lake at Hawrelak Park.
On Friday afternoon, AHS said blue-green algae blooms had been found in the lake, located in the river valley park and advised individuals visiting the lake at the park to avoid coming in contact with the blooms.
Anyone who comes in contact with an algae bloom might experience skin irritation or a rash, sore throat, sore red eyes, swollen lips, fever, nausea and vomiting and/or diarrhea.
Swimming, boating and fishing is not permitted on the lake.
The announcement comes weeks before the ITU World Triathlon is set to take place, with the swim portion of the race set for the lake.
Despite the announcement, Sheila O’Kelly, general manager with World Triathlon Series Edmonton said they were prepared to deal with the situation, officials had conducted ongoing testing of the water throughout the summer, and the algae was caught early.
“We’re very confident that this probably won’t be an issue,” O’Kelly said.
O’Kelly said organizers learned from 2015, when the first-ever blue-green algae advisory was issued for the body of water. That advisory came just over a week before the Triathlon event.
This time, O’Kelly said they have a lot more time.
“It’s early, we have a few weeks to go before the triathlon,” O’Kelly told CTV News.
Due to the algae, O’Kelly said crews would start chlorinating the water in the lake sooner than they otherwise would have before the event, which is scheduled for September 2 to 4.
