New phone app helps EPA keep water clean

By Ana Bottary

abottary@abc6.com

@anabottary

A new cell phone app is helping the environmental protection agency keep a closer eye on fresh water ponds and lakes during the warm summer months.

"Think of it as instead of chasing Pokémon, we are going to chase blue green algae,"says Curt Spalding, U.S. EPA Regional Administrator.

The app-called bloom watch was launched last week. It can be used by anyone who may be near fresh water and see’s bacteria growing. It’s as simple as just taking a quick photo of the water in question and then uploading it on to their bloom watch app.

"Three photos is all we ask for. Those are sent to a citizen based data base, and then from there we analyze those images to see if it is in fact likely to be a harmful algae bloom," says Hilary Snook, U.S. EPA Senior Environmental Scientist.

D.E.M will also use the data. Once picture are compiled and analyzed, it will make the alert the public of the hazard. Areas in Rhode Island has dealt with harmful algae bloom’s this summer. Portsmouth was forced to close two ponds temporarily last month.

"It can produce toxic substances and those toxins can vary from skin rash, dermal toxins to very acute neuro toxins, which can cause ALS type symptoms,"adds Snook.

EPA environmentalists were at Warwick at Gorton’s pond Tuesday. Warwick, an important stop, because ponds in the area dealt with an algae bloom for the first time last year.

"An ability to have citizen volunteers in their own neighborhoods who know their area best. Certainly know it better than anyone from out of state or out of city, really take control of the quality of life issues in a neighborhood," says Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian.

(c)WLNE-TV 2016