CAYUGA - The muddy hue of the lake tells the story in this lakeside village that has been under a boil water order for more than a week.

On a typical day, Mayor Ron Erickson can see a strip of green tinted water from the windows of the village offices on the banks of Cayuga Lake. On Wednesday, the lake was still brown and rippled, the municipal water supply still tainted 11 days after the order was issued.

A heavy rainfall and runoff from melting snow helped cloud the shallow water that in turn clogged village filters at the treatment plant and compromised quality. Each spring brings a thaw that stirs up the lake, but rarely does it happen like this.

“It isn't a yearly occasion,” said Erickson, estimating it has been about 18 years since the last prolonged boil water order.

Residents have been taking the inconvenience in stride, though.

“The people have gone along with this very well,” Erickson said. “We get the occasional phone call, ‘When is the boil water order off?'”

It's the most immediate question on the minds of village residents. As of Wednesday, there was no definitive answer.

“I hope it's soon,” Theresa Walawender said. “It is an inconvenience. I have two small children and we've been using bottled water to brush our teeth, so it's been kind of a pain in the neck.”

Abbott Greenleaf is using bottled water for drinking, boiling water for sprouts he grows and adding bleach to his dishwasher for good measure.

“It's an inconvenience, I'm not thrilled about it, but you've got to deal with it,” Greenleaf said.

Some residents appreciated the village's up-front approach to the problem. Municipal workers hand-delivered notices to each of the 240 or so households that receive water in the village and along Route 90 in the town of Aurelius.

“The way I see it is they don't control the lake,” said Carleton Brier, who has lived in the village for nearly 40 years. “I figure that piece of paper saved their hides and saved us from some illness.”

“We'll go with it as long as it lasts,” he said.

Cayuga County health officials said lake water clarity remained poor Wednesday. The plant is producing water that is up to state standards, but not consistently enough to lift the order. A conservation order is also in effect until further notice.

Staff writer Shane Liebler can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or shane.liebler@lee.net