March 17, 2023

SANFORD – The Florida Department of Health in Seminole County has extended the Health Alert previously issued for Wood Lake. The alert is in response to water samples taken on March 14, 2023 and is in effect through April 13, 2023. The public should exercise caution in and around lakes where algal blooms are present. Residents and visitors are advised to take the following precautions:

February 20, 2023

SANFORD – The Florida Department of Health in Seminole County has extended the Health Alert for the presence of harmful blue-green algal toxins in Wood Lake (Unincorporated Seminole/Maitland Area.) The extended alert is in response to water samples taken on February 15, 2023 and will be in effect until March 17, 2023. The public should exercise caution in and around lakes where algal blooms are present.

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.