Austin Water announced Monday it has acquired new equipment that will allow in-house testing of raw water and treated drinking water samples for cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins, reducing the wait for results to 24 hours and allowing more frequent testing. In the past, water samples for cyanotoxins were analyzed by multiple labs, often taking several weeks to get results.
Austin Water’s new FlowCam Cyano enables rapid digital imaging analysis of raw water, the city says. The FlowCam will help in-house water quality lab technicians monitor for algae and plankton that could indicate taste and odor issues for drinking water at a minimum, as well as the presence of harmful bacteria in the worst-case scenario.
“We have a team focused on preparing for a cyanotoxin event, who have been implementing strategic plans for more than a year to be ready if the worst were to happen,” said Austin Water Director Greg Meszaros. “We take this threat very seriously, and I’m proud of the vigilance and proactive measures our laboratory analysts and treatment team have put in place to detect and treat for cyanotoxins.”
Austin Water began testing for cyanotoxins in 2015, but checking for cyanobacteria dates back to the 1990s. Since monitoring began, there has never been a detection of cyanotoxins above the EPA health advisory level in our raw water or treated drinking water. However, with growing concern about harmful algal mats in Lake Travis and Lady Bird Lake, Austin Water says it is prepared for rapid response should a positive test occur.
