Cyanobacteria have appeared in Upper Sûre Lake
Source: Johny Goerend, Unsplash
MeteoLux is predicting hot summer weather with temperatures reaching 30 degrees on Saturday, but there's bad news for those who wanted to cool off at the Rommwiss beach. The water authority announced in a press release Wednesday that a massive proliferation of cyanobacteria, or "blue-green algae," has been found on the beach at Lake Haute-Sûre. Authorities have announced an immediate ban on swimming at the beach.
Cyanobacteria produce a toxin. Contact with the toxin and ingestion or inhalation can cause headaches, skin irritation and/or burns, and nausea. In addition to the bathing ban, authorities are urging residents to refrain from water activities, not to allow animals to drink water from the lake, and not to eat fish caught in the lake.
However, bathing is still allowed at other beaches on the lake, as well as in the Weiswampach, Echternach and Remerschen ponds. It is important to note that there is no danger to the drinking water as it is drawn from a depth of 25 meters at the Esch-sur-Sûre dam, where the concentration of cyanobacteria is very low.
