Hawrelak Park Lake deemed safe for triathlon participants following blue-green algae concerns

WATCH ABOVE: AHS officials have given the green light for the ITU World Triathlon race at Hawrelak Park Lake following blue-green algae concerns last week.

EDMONTON – Hawrelak Park Lake has been deemed safe for swimmers after a blue-green algae bloom was discovered last week. If water conditions remain the same throughout the week, the ITU World Triathlon race will go ahead as scheduled next weekend.

Alberta Health Services announced Sunday afternoon that water conditions have improved enough for athletes to safely take to the water.

“Monitoring has indicated that the cell counts of blue-green algae are well below what the standards would be for recreational water within the Alberta Environment, and well below the standards that are set out by our triathlon committee,” said Dr. Chris Sikora, a medical officer of health with AHS.

“If the triathlon were held today, the lake water would be safe to swim in.”

A team of experts has been working diligently since the city announced Wednesday a blue-green algae bloom was discovered in the man-made lake. The lake’s surface was skimmed to remove the algae from the water and several rounds of chlorination have taken place.

“The chlorine levels that we’re using are well within what would be commonly utilized even in swimming pools, so this is safe,” Sikora said.

READ MORE: Team ‘cautiously optimistic’ Hawrelak Park will be ready for triathlon

Cell counts of blue-green algae must be below 100,000 cells per millilitre, according to AHS. Sikora said testing done on Friday revealed counts between 800 and 5,000 cells per millilitre. Testing on Saturday showed those counts drop to the 400 to 3,500 cells per millilitre range.

Crews will continue to monitor the water on a daily basis to ensure the conditions remain safe for next weekend’s event.

“We are very, very pleased that we now have the green light to proceed with our race. The last few days have been a little nerve-racking, but with this news today… we couldn’t be happier,” said Rob Smyth with the City of Edmonton’s Community Services department.

“This is considerable relief, it’s tremendous. We always plan for unforeseen events, so monitoring early to prevent this is normal course so that when it is flagged it gives us efficient time to intervene,” added Don Lowry, chair of the ITU World Triathlon Edmonton.

“This is a great for Edmonton, for Alberta and for triathlon.”

The triathlon is scheduled to take place Sept. 5-6. Approximately 1,000 people are expected to take part.