Water-Related News

Polk County Dept. of Health issues Health Alert for Lake Hancock-South Central

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April 12, 2023

LAKELAND – The Florida Department of Health in Polk County has issued a Health Alert for the presence of harmful blue-green algal toxins in Lake Hancock – South Central. This is in response to a water sample taken on 4/6/2023. The public should exercise caution in and around Lake Hancock – South Central.

Residents and visitors are advised to take the following precautions:

  • Do not drink, swim, wade, use personal watercraft, water ski, or boat in waters where there is a visible bloom.
  • Wash your skin and clothing with soap and water if you have contact with algae or discolored or smelly water.
  • Keep pets away from the area. Waters where there are algae blooms are not safe for animals. Pets and livestock should have a different source of water when algae blooms are present.
  • Do not cook or clean dishes with water contaminated by algae blooms. Boiling the water will not eliminate the toxins.
  • Eating fillets from healthy fish caught in freshwater lakes experiencing blooms is safe. Rinse fish fillets with tap or bottled water, throw out the guts and cook fish well.
  • Do not eat shellfish in waters with algae blooms.

You can check for water quality updates on the State of Florida's Algal Bloom Dashboard: https://floridadep.gov/AlgalBloom