Meeting called about Summit Lake’s toxic algae ‘community emergency’

Update: On Friday morning, county officials announced that the community meeting has been moved from the Summit Lake Community Club House to the Boy Scout Camp, 11740 Summit Lake Road NW, due to possible audience size.

Thursday, the Thurston County Board of Health declared the Summit Lake toxic algae bloom a community emergency, and scheduled a community meeting about it 2-4 p.m. Saturday at the Summit Lake Community Club House.

Meanwhile, residents can bring their own containers to collect water 4-7 p.m. every day at a water truck that will be at McLane Black Lake Fire Department Station 93 at 2815 Summit Lake Shore Road NW, according to a news release from Thurston County.

Preliminary tests from lake water samples taken last week indicate that a blue-green algae is producing “extremely high levels” of the toxin Anatoxin-a, which is a neurotoxin, officials said. Eleven follow-up samples were taken around the lake Tuesday, and those results are expected Friday.

Health officials are urging people to stop having any contact with the lake’s water. This includes using the water for bathing, drinking, cooking, washing dishes or laundry. People also should avoid swimming or fishing in the lake, or letting their pets come into contact with it, officials said.

“Filtration, boiling and other water treatment methods don’t remove or deactivate the algae toxin,” the county stated.

The county has set up a special hotline with updates on the algae bloom at 360-709-3080. The Summit Lake Community Club House is at 11545 Summit Lake Road.

This story was originally published May 11, 2017 at 6:15 PM with the headline "Meeting called about Summit Lake’s toxic algae ‘community emergency’."