SKANEATELES - Skaneateles Lake, 16 miles long and with a maximum depth of more than 300 feet, has long been known for being one of the cleanest bodies of water in the world.
Besides serving the village of Skaneateles, the glacier-carved lake provides water to the city of Syracuse, along with municipalities such as Camillus and Elbridge.
The lake's water is so pure, in fact, that the municipal water systems do not filter the liquid.
However, the Environmental Protection Agency wants to ensure the lake's water is as clean as possible.
As part of the guidelines for what's known as the “Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule,” which provides standards for unfiltered water systems, the EPA has asked the municipalities served by Skaneateles Lake to upgrade their systems.
Despite the water's purity, EPA representatives say the water potentially could contain some harmful parasites after it reaches the communities, so they ordered the municipalities to implement some method of sterilization.
Both village and Syracuse leaders are considering installing ultraviolet lamps to “zap” the harmful organisms, said John Hunt, village director of municipal operations.
“We use what's called a 'filtration avoidance system,'” he explained. “That's pretty unusual in the context of water supply.”
The lake water is chlorinated and fluoridated. Until now, that was all the EPA required, Hunt said.
“Chlorination can kill certain types of microorganisms, but there are certain ones that chlorine has a very difficult time killing,” he said.
Two potentially harmful microorganisms are cryptosporidium, which can cause digestive problems in humans, and giardia lamblia, which can cause the intestinal disease popularly known as “beaver fever.”
Filtration will kill both parasites, Hunt said, but other technologies are available that don't require filters.
“The way the ultraviolet system works is, you put a bank of UV lights near your chlorinate, and that kills pretty much all your bacteria,” he said.
The UV systems, the plans for which Hunt said will be finalized in 2009, will be installed atop the water tanks on East Street.
“We'll have to cut into the infrastructure, then cut into the main pipe up at that tank farm to (install) the UV treatment system,” he said.
The completion of the system's installation, Hunt continued, depends on several factors.
“Until we have an engineering design, it's difficult to be specific,” he said. “It's going to depend on the piping layout and things like that.”
Since the project is still in the planning stages, Hunt said that an approximate cost for the system has not yet been determined.
The lake's water is so pure, in fact, that the municipal water systems do not filter the liquid.
However, the Environmental Protection Agency wants to ensure the lake's water is as clean as possible.
As part of the guidelines for what's known as the “Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule,” which provides standards for unfiltered water systems, the EPA has asked the municipalities served by Skaneateles Lake to upgrade their systems.
Despite the water's purity, EPA representatives say the water potentially could contain some harmful parasites after it reaches the communities, so they ordered the municipalities to implement some method of sterilization.
Both village and Syracuse leaders are considering installing ultraviolet lamps to “zap” the harmful organisms, said John Hunt, village director of municipal operations.
“We use what's called a 'filtration avoidance system,'” he explained. “That's pretty unusual in the context of water supply.”
The lake water is chlorinated and fluoridated. Until now, that was all the EPA required, Hunt said.
“Chlorination can kill certain types of microorganisms, but there are certain ones that chlorine has a very difficult time killing,” he said.
Two potentially harmful microorganisms are cryptosporidium, which can cause digestive problems in humans, and giardia lamblia, which can cause the intestinal disease popularly known as “beaver fever.”
Filtration will kill both parasites, Hunt said, but other technologies are available that don't require filters.
“The way the ultraviolet system works is, you put a bank of UV lights near your chlorinate, and that kills pretty much all your bacteria,” he said.
The UV systems, the plans for which Hunt said will be finalized in 2009, will be installed atop the water tanks on East Street.
“We'll have to cut into the infrastructure, then cut into the main pipe up at that tank farm to (install) the UV treatment system,” he said.
The completion of the system's installation, Hunt continued, depends on several factors.
“Until we have an engineering design, it's difficult to be specific,” he said. “It's going to depend on the piping layout and things like that.”
Since the project is still in the planning stages, Hunt said that an approximate cost for the system has not yet been determined.
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