Both ponds normally would have quite a bit of boating and swimming activity at this time of year.
Aquatic Control Technology, a Sutton-based company, planned to treat Furnace Pond with copper sulfate yesterday. The pond received a similar copper sulfate application last summer for algae problems.
Treatment of Oldham Pond will be trickier and more expensive. The Massachusetts Department of Fisheries and Wildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program prohibited the use of copper sulfate, due to presence of a rare mussel in the pond. The agency signed off on the application of Phycomycin, a non-copper-based algaecide highly effective against blue-green algae, but will allow only a third of the pond to be treated at a time. In between treatments, the welfare of the mussel will be monitored.
Cullity said the initial treatment would focus on the area where the algae bloom is heaviest: the northwestern section near Hanson. How and when the rest of the pond is treated will be partially dependent on the effectiveness of the first application.
“The treatment [at both ponds] should give the algae a knockout punch,’’ Cullity said. “We expect we’ll have a couple clean rounds of testing in a very short time, so we’re hoping to have all the beaches open by the Fourth of July.’’
According to the federal Centers for Disease Control, contact with cyanobacteria can result in rashes, hives, and blisters. Inhaling droplets can result in runny eyes, infected sinuses and ears, sore throat, and asthma-like symptoms. Ingestion may cause diarrhea, vomiting, and cramps. Pets have been known to die from ingesting the toxin, and children can become quite ill.
