2D AGO

The Dark Secrets of NY's Best Tasting Water: Rochester, NY

Rochester was voted the best-tasting municipal water in New York State. Then they found a body in the reservoir. In March 2024, a maintenance worker discovered a man's body in Rochester's Highland Park Reservoir. It had been there for 24 days while water continued flowing to tens of thousands of taps. The water tested safe, but the story of how this was possible opens up something much larger about a city drinking from two of the most protected lakes in the country while simultaneously managing 15,000 lead pipes, two reservoirs out of federal compliance for nearly 20 years, and a chemical legacy in the watershed that took state environmental archives and a stonewalled FOIL request to piece together. In this episode, environmental scientist Ally covers: 🔬 Where Rochester's water actually comes from — two glacier-carved Finger Lakes supplying 37 million gallons a day since 1876, with completely undeveloped shorelines and 6,800 acres of protected state forest. ☣️ The PCB scandal buried in the Canadice watershed. A private landowner draining transformer fluid into a tributary feeding your drinking water reservoir, and the fish test results still sitting in "draft form" two years after collection. 🚰 15,000 lead service lines still in the ground, what the city is doing about it, and how to get your water tested for free. 💀 The full story of Abdullahi Muya, the 29-year-old who drowned in Highland Park Reservoir in February 2024 and wasn't found for 24 days. and the federal compliance rule that's been deferred since 2006 that connects to the story. 🧫 The bloom science nobody in Rochester is talking about. Internal phosphorus loading documented in Hemlock and Canadice specifically, legacy septic systems still releasing nutrients 80 years after demolition, and the seiche dynamics that can trigger algal blooms from inside a protected lake with zero external input. 🧪 A University of Rochester study that found microplastic concentrations jumping from 10 particles per milliliter at the source to over 1,500 by the time it reached distribution. The source was clean, the pipes weren't. 💧 City water vs. suburb water, PFAS, disinfection byproducts, the Skaneateles comparison, the fracking fight nobody remembers, and what you can actually do The water is safe. It's also complicated. This episode explains why. Full citations at the AquaDiary Patreon (but comment if you want something): https://www.patreon.com/c/TheAquaDiaryPodcast Free lead testing: WaterTest@CityofRochester.gov

50 min

MAY 1

Billion Dollar Water Scam? Bottled Water vs. Tap Water

Bottled water is less regulated, less safe, and less transparent than your tap — and the industry spent billions making sure you never found out. In this episode of AquaDiary, environmental scientist Ally breaks down the science, the scandals, and the corporate playbook behind the bottled water industry. From FDA loopholes and hidden contamination to Nestlé pumping 130 million gallons for $200 a year while Flint had no clean water. This is the episode the bottled water industry doesn't want you to see. What we cover: Why bottled water is regulated by the FDA (not the EPA), and what that actually means for your safety45–64% of bottled water is just filtered tap water with a mountain on the labelThe 60,000% markup you're paying, and where that money goesBottled water contamination cases the public was never told aboutHow chemicals leach from plastic bottles into your waterThe Nestlé extraction scandal, and the communities that fought backWhat 23 million private well users need to know What you should actually drink, and how to filter it affordablyRead your water quality report free at EPA.gov. Test your well. Know what's in your glass. Well water test kit recommendations + affiliate links: Varify: https://amzn.to/4eTDaHhTapscore: https://amzn.to/3OChncNSafe Home: https://amzn.to/49ogLOPFull reference list available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheAquaDiaryPodcast

40 min

APR 24

The Lead Pipe Problem Is Worse Than We Thought

Lead pipes and lead poisonings aren't problems we've solved. They're under streets across the country right now, and new evidence suggests the problem is significantly larger than official data ever indicated. In this episode, environmental scientist Ally breaks down the full story of lead in American drinking water: the aging infrastructure nobody wants to pay to fix, the chemistry that keeps most of us safe and exactly what destroys it, and the cities across New York and the northeast with lead levels that should be making national headlines. What we cover: How East Coast water infrastructure came to beThe science inside lead pipes that most reporting gets wrongWhat really happened in Flint — and the one detail nobody explainsNew York cities with lead levels higher than Flint at its worstA new study suggesting utilities manipulated lead reporting data5. What lead exposure does to children and adultsFive things you can do to protect yourself starting todayThere is no safe level of lead exposure. But there are things you can do, and understanding the science is the first one. 🔗 EPA certified filter guide: https://www.epa.gov/water-research/consumer-tool-identifying-point-use-and-pitcher-filters-certified-reduce-lead🔗 NRDC lead pipe interactive map: https://www.nrdc.org/resources/lead-pipes-are-widespread-and-used-every-state🔗 NY lead service line map (NYLCVEF): https://nylcvef.org/lead-service-lines-in-new-york-state-interactive-map/🔗 Syracuse lead service line map: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/f6f39da4d69b436584b174de9fddf2d8Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheAquaDiaryPodcast

34 min

APR 17

Syracuse Drinks Unfiltered Lake Water from Skaneateles Lake - It May Soon be a Problem

Syracuse, New York gets its drinking water directly from Skaneateles Lake. No filtration plant, no treatment beyond chlorination... and it has worked perfectly for 130 years. Then in 2024, the lake recorded 145 confirmed harmful algal blooms. The year before: 19. This episode is about what changed, what the science actually shows, and what 165,000 people probably don't know about the water coming out of their tap.Environmental scientist Ally and Finger Lakes local covers the full story: the strange mechanism shaking phosphorus loose from the lakebed, the research from Syracuse University and SUNY ESF happening right now, the gaps in the watershed management plan, what you should and shouldn't do if you have a private intake, and a cautionary reference to Toledo, Ohio — where 400,000 people lost safe tap water for three days in 2014. Toledo had a filtration plant. It still failed. Syracuse doesn't.This is not a scare piece. The finished drinking water tested clean in 2024. But the trajectory is worth understanding before it becomes a crisis instead of a question. Only 165,000 people depend on it. Citations are not included in this episode as it exceeded the character limit. Please support the show on Patreon for $3 a month to see the full citations and script before it's released. https://www.patreon.com/c/TheAquaDiaryPodcast

46 min

APR 10

Exploding Lakes: The Lake Nyos Disaster

On the night of August 21, 1986, the residents of Cameroon's Nyos valley went to sleep and never woke up. Nearly 1,700 people and thousands of livestock were found dead by morning. No signs of struggle, no visible cause. Just silence and 4 very confused survivors. The lake was the murderer. In this episode, we cover the full story of Lake Nyos: the night of the disaster, the survivors who described a strange smell and sudden darkness, the scientists who pieced together what happened, and the remarkable engineering now keeping it from happening again. We also break down the science of limnic eruptions: how volcanic CO₂ silently accumulates in deep water under immense pressure, what causes a lake to suddenly "explode," and which lakes around the world (Lake Kivu) are still primed to do the same thing today. This is a story about geology, chemistry, tragedy, survival, and what happens when nature operates by rules most of us never knew existed. Resources: Kling, G.W. et al. (1987). The1986 Lake Nyos Gas Disaster in Cameroon, West Africa. Science, 236(4798). — Thefoundational post-disaster scientific paper.Evans, W.C. et al. (2005).Degassing Lakes Nyos and Monoun: Defusing Certain Disaster. Proceedings of theNational Academy of Sciences. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.0502274102Halbwachs, M. et al. (2020).Final Step of the 32-Year Lake Nyos Degassing Adventure. Journal of AfricanEarth Sciences.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1464343X19302286Anzidei, M. et al. (2023).Evidence of Lake Nyos-Type Behavior in the Geological Record: A Review.ScienceDirect.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012825223002921Britannica: Lake Nyos Disaster.https://www.britannica.com/event/Lake-Nyos-disasterAtlas Obscura: The InvisibleThreat Beneath Cameroon's Deadly Lake Nyos.https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/lake-nyos-1986Mental Floss: Killer Lakes — WhyLimnic Eruptions May Be the World's Rarest Natural Disasters.https://www.mentalfloss.com/science/geology/limnic-eruptions-volcanic-lakesHowStuffWorks: How Did Lake NyosSuddenly Kill 1,700 People?https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geophysics/lake-nyos.htmFairPlanet: Cameroon: Lake NyosDisaster Survivors Afflicted by Civil War.https://www.fairplanet.org/story/glimmer-of-hope-for-lake-nyos-disaster-survivors/VOA News: Cameroon Lake NyosDisaster Survivors Feel Abandoned.https://www.voanews.com/a/survivors-1986-lake-nyos-disaster-cameroon/3474673.htmlUniversity of Michigan —CO2-Driven Lake Eruptions resource.https://websites.umich.edu/~youxue/lakeerupt.htm Support the show on Patreon, and see the scripts and notes before they're released! The AquaDiary Podcast | Patreon

22 min

APR 3

Algae Toxins: Drinking Water, Dogs & Health Risks

What are toxic algae, and how dangerous are they really? In this episode of AquaDiary, Ally breaks down the health risks of harmful algal blooms (HABs), including cyanotoxins like microcystin, how exposure can affect people and pets, why dogs can die within hours, what the health advisory limits are federally and by state, what toxic blooms mean for lakes and drinking water systems, how to find out if your state is monitoring for cyanotoxins, how to see if you're being exposed to toxins in your drinking water, and why public awareness still lags behind the science. She also explores emerging research into possible long-term neurological risks, including whether certain algae toxins may one day be linked to diseases like Alzheimer’s. Topics covered: toxic algae, mattoon water crisis, harmful algal blooms (HABs), cyanobacteria, cyanotoxins, microcystin, anatoxin-a, BMAA, algae toxins, dog deaths from algae blooms, toxic lake water, harmful algal bloom health risks, cyanotoxins in drinking water, algae blooms and pets, lake water safety, tap water contamination, public health, water treatment, health advisories, emerging research, and environmental science. References: Caller, T.A., et al. (2009). A cluster of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in New Hampshire: A possible role for toxic cyanobacteria blooms. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, 10(Suppl. 2), 101–108. Cox, P.A., et al. (2016). Chronic exposure to BMAA may trigger Alzheimer's-like pathology in primates. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Durden, W.N., et al. (2025). Alzheimer's disease signatures in the brain transcriptome of estuarine dolphins. Communications Biology, 8(1), 1400. Environmental Working Group. Tap water database — does your state monitor microcystin https://www.ewg.org/tapwater Garamszegi, S.P., et al. (2023). Detection of BMAA in postmortem olfactory bulbs of Alzheimer's disease patients. Toxicology Reports, 10, 392–400. IPM Newsroom. (2025, September 5). What to know about algal blooms after Mattoon's water crisis. NPR Illinois. (2025, September 15). Toxic bacteria shut down Mattoon's water supply. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2015). Health advisory for microcystins (0.3 µg/L children; 1.6 µg/L adults). https://www.epa.gov World Health Organization. Guidelines for drinking-water quality. [Microcystin-LR guideline: 1.0 µg/L]Links: EWG Tap Water Database (microcystin by state): https://www.ewg.org/tapwater NY HABs Tracker (harmful algal bloom advisories): https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/77118.html Find your Annual Drinking Water Report: Search [your town name] + 'annual drinking water report' or https://www.epa.gov/ccr Water filter — tested for microcystin removal (Berkey): https://amzn.to/4t25nPYMicrocystin regulations by state: https://static.ewg.org/reports/2019/microcystin/img/EWG_Microcystins-StateReg_C02.pdf

32 min

APR 3

What Causes Algal Blooms?

In 2014, a harmful algae bloom shut off drinking water for nearly half a million people in Toledo, Ohio. The city spent 65 million dollars responding. They've invested half a billion dollars in upgrades since. And every summer, the blooms come back. Harmful algal blooms are getting worse. And the reason why is more complicated than most people realize, and more alarming than most officials or lake managers are admitting. In this episode, environmental scientist and host Ally breaks down the full science of toxic algae blooms to help you think like a scientist, including the ancient biology behind them, how phosphorus fuels toxic growth, how lake stratification and turnover distribute nutrients through the water column, and why new peer reviewed research suggests that even lakes with reduced pollution are still experiencing blooms. This is the science behind the headlines, explained. References: Nürnberg GK. (2025). Importance of considering internal phosphorus loading during climate change. Lake and Reservoir Management, 41:3, 165–179.Jane SF et al. (2023). Longer duration of seasonal stratification contributes to widespread increases in lake hypoxia and anoxia. Global Change Biology, 29(4), 1009–1023.Harrison JW et al. (2025). Hypolimnetic photosynthesis precedes a Microcystis bloom in a temperate, oligo-mesotrophic reservoir. Lake and Reservoir Management, 41:194–209.Meyers K et al. (2025). National forecasting of cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom events: a 3-year model evaluation. Lake and Reservoir Management.Chaffin JD et al. (2023). Microcystin congeners in Lake Erie follow the seasonal pattern of nitrogen availability. Harmful Algae, 127, 102466. Taranu ZE et al. (2014). Nitrogen forms influence microcystin concentration and composition via changes in cyanobacterial community structure. PLOS ONE.NOAA/NCCOS ongoing research: Evaluating the Effects of Nitrogen Form and Concentration on Toxin Phenotypes of Microcystis. coastalscience.noaa.govCDC MMWR report: McCarty CL et al. (2016). Community Needs Assessment After Microcystin Toxin Contamination of a Municipal Water Supply — Lucas County, Ohio. MMWR, 65(35):925–929.Schopf JW. The Fossil Record of Cyanobacteria. In: Whitton BA, editor. Ecology of Cyanobacteria II. Springer; 2012. — 3.5 billion year stromatolite evidenceGueneli N et al. (2024). Oldest thylakoids in fossil cells directly evidence oxygenic photosynthesis. Nature. — 2.1 billion year undisputed confirmed fossilCNN. (August 3, 2014). 400,000 in Toledo, Ohio, water scare await test results. CNN.comCircle of Blue. (2015). The Toledo Water Crisis, One Year Later. circleofblue.orgThe Statehouse News Bureau. (August 2, 2024). A decade ago, Toledo lost access to its water. statenews.orgUniversity of Toledo. (July 15, 2024). 10 Years After Water Crisis, UToledo Researchers Remain Committed to Protecting Region's Drinking Water. Chaffin JD, Westrick JA, Reitz LA, Bridgeman TB. (2023). Microcystin congeners in Lake Erie follow the seasonal pattern of nitrogen availability. Harmful Algae, 127, 102466. DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2023.102466. — nitrogen availability influences microcystin congener composition and therefore bloom toxicity; more toxic forms dominate late season as nitrogen depletesLisboa, MS, RL Schneider, LG Rudstam, MT Walter. 2025. Groundwater phosphorus contributions comparable to tributaries in a large, mesotrophic, polymictic lake. Science of the Total Environment. 1008:180978. doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180978

35 min

APR 3

Sewage, Stormwater, and Beach Closures — What's Actually In Your Water After It Rains?

Beach closures after rain aren't random. They're the result of a stormwater and sewer system that was never designed to handle what we're asking it to do — and in hundreds of American cities, including many in New York State, that system is sending raw sewage and dozens of chemicals directly into lakes and rivers when it downpours. In this episode, environmental scientist Ally breaks down how stormwater runoff works, what combined sewer systems are and why they overflow, what the New York State Sewage Pollution Right to Know Law means for you, and why your lake looks and smells different after a heavy storm - scientific facts, articles, and research - all in plain English. Topics covered: stormwater runoff, combined sewer overflows, CSOs, impervious surfaces, water pollution, beach closures, New York water quality, drinking water safety, lake pollution, SPDES permits, green infrastructure.

28 min

APR 3

The Same Water Has Existed For 4 Billion Years. Where Has It Been?

The water in your glass right now has existed for over four billion years. It has been part of oceans, glaciers, clouds, rivers, and yes — other living things. It is the same water, cycling endlessly. In Episode 1 of AquaDiary, environmental scientist and host, Ally breaks down the water cycle - not the oversimplified version you learned in school, but the full picture. How water moves through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, transpiration, and infiltration. What a watershed actually is and why it determines the quality and quantity of your drinking water. What a water budget is, how aquifers work, how long water can actually stay in a lake or glacier, and why water residence time matters more than most people realize. This is the foundation of everything AquaDiary covers. Understanding how water moves is understanding why it gets polluted, why some places run out of it, and why protecting it is more complicated than it looks.

35 min

APR 2

Toxic Water in the Finger Lakes: The Owasco Lake Mystery

Owasco Lake supplies drinking water to 45,000 people in central New York. In 2016, it made history, for the wrong reason. Cyanobacterial toxins were detected in the finished drinking water of a New York State public water system for the first time ever. Since then, the blooms have gotten worse, the lawsuits have piled up, and a number that gets cited constantly in the press may not be telling the whole story. In this episode, environmental scientist and Owasco local, Ally Berry, goes inside the science, the data, and the regulatory fight that has turned one Finger Lake into a test case for water policy across New York State. What's really driving the algae blooms? Where is the phosphorus actually coming from? And why is the science more complicated (and more interesting) than the headlines suggest? References: Anderson, H.S., et al. (2021). Accelerated Sediment Phosphorus Release in Lake ErieDuring Seasonal Anoxia. Limnology and Oceanography. https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/lake-erie-eutrophication-exacerbated-by-release-of-sediment-phosphorus-during-anoxia/Cayuga County Health Department (October 8, 2024). Low Levels of Algal Toxins Detectedin Auburn and Owasco Drinking Water. Reported via CNY Central. https://cnycentral.com/news/local/toxins-detected-in-auburn-owasco-drinking-water-still-safe-to-useCity of Auburn, NY (January 5, 2023). Public Notice: Total Trihalomethanes MCL Violation. https://www.auburnny.gov/home/news/public-notice-city-auburn-public-water-supply-users-updated-april-14-2023City of Auburn, NY. Harmful Algal Blooms Information.https://www.auburnny.gov/water-billing-service/pages/harmful-algal-blooms-informationEarthjustice Press Release (August 2025). Court Orders New York State to Act on Drinking Water Crisis.https://earthjustice.org/press/2025/court-orders-new-york-state-to-act-on-drinking-water-crisis-in-cayuga-county Earthjustice Press Release (May 2025). Court Determines NYS-DOH Cannot Shirk Responsibility.https://earthjustice.org/press/2025/court-determines-nys-doh-cannot-shirk-responsibility-to-protect-drinking-water-supplies-from-agricultural-contaminationFinger Lakes Regional Watershed Alliance, as reported in Inside Climate News (October2024). 2024 Harmful Algal Bloom Report Data. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23102024/new-york-finger-lakes-toxic-bloom-record/Inside Climate News (October 2024). Toxic Blooms in New York's Finger Lakes Set Recordin 2024. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23102024/new-york-finger-lakes-toxic-bloom-record/New York State DEC. 2017–2018 Finger Lakes Water Quality Report (CSLAP). https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/docs/water_pdf/2018flwqreport.pdfOrihel, D.M., et al. (2017). Internal Phosphorus Loading in Canadian Fresh Waters.Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/cjfas-2016-0500Owasco Lake Watershed Nine-Element Plan for Phosphorus Reduction. https://waterfrontonline.blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/owasco9elementplanphosphorous.pdfOWLA. Judge Rules DOH Has Authority to Adopt Rules and Regulations. https://www.owla.org/news/judge-rules-that-the-state-department-of-health-has-the-authority-to-adopt-rules-and-regulations-to-protect-owasco-lakeSteinman, A.D., et al. (2015). Laboratory-Determined Phosphorus Flux from Lake Sediments.Journal of Visualized Experiments. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4143148/Wallington, K., et al. (2023). Updating SWAT+ to Clarify Understanding of In-StreamPhosphorus. Water Resources Research. https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2022WR033283WaterFront / Peter Mantius (March 2023). As Cyanotoxins Soar in Owasco Lake. https://waterfrontonline.blog/2023/03/31/as-cyanotoxins-soar-in-owasco-lake-threatening-tap-water-cayuga-county-ends-support-for-water-monitoring/Support the show on Patreon! The AquaDiary Podcast | Patreon Sign up for CSLAP!What is CSLAP? – NYSFOLA

1h 5m

MAR 19

Intro: How to Understand Water

Welcome to AquaDiary, where the gap between water issues and scientific reality finally gets filled in. Understanding Water, Beneath the Surface. You’ve seen the stories: water contamination scares, mysterious lake phenomena, harmful algal blooms, fish kills, water crises, shifting water laws. But what do they actually mean? And how concerned should you be? Behind every story is context that rarely makes it into the hands of the public. Scientists understand it. Reporters summarize it. But the full picture often gets lost somewhere in translation. This is a podcast for anyone who drinks water, lives near a waterbody, or has ever wondered about water science and the manmade systems that manage it. No technical background or fancy lab coat required. Together, we’ll build a foundation in water science so you can understand the how and the why behind any story you encounter. We’ll unpack complex headlines, explore recurring environmental issues, explain water science and manmade systems, and dive into lake mysteries and folklore that keep curiosity alive. This is the story of water: explained clearly, honestly, and directly to you. If there’s a topic you’d like covered, leave a comment.

16 min

AquaDiary: Water Mysteries, Science & News

Episodes

The Dark Secrets of NY's Best Tasting Water: Rochester, NY

Billion Dollar Water Scam? Bottled Water vs. Tap Water

The Lead Pipe Problem Is Worse Than We Thought