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SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS <br />Can I swim? Can my dogs swim? What if my dog drinks lake water? <br />The short answer is yes, you and your dogs can swim. Health risks from alum are VERY low. <br />•Alum sinks quickly to the bottom. Coming in direct contact with the alum is very low. <br />•There are no restrictions on swimming or using water to water plants/lawn <br />•No permit is needed from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources or the Minnesota Pollution Control <br />Agency to apply alum <br />Other Considerations: <br />•Alum is used often in our drinking water treatment plant process. St. Cloud, St. Paul, and various other cities <br />across Minnesota use this in the process of clean drinking water <br />•Alum is the primary ingredient in the OTC antacid Maalox <br />•Aluminum is found in many foods <br />Are there any long-term health concerns for humans? <br />The American Alzheimer’s Association says there’s no link between aluminum sulfate and memory loss (a common <br />myth). Sources: https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-alzheimers/myths and <br />https://www.alzdiscovery.org/cognitive-vitality/blog/is-there-a-link-between-aluminum-and-alzheimers <br />Does it hurt fish and aquatic life? <br />When used appropriately, there is a VERY low risk to fish. Aluminum toxicity is a concern for fish when too much alum is <br />applied too fast. RCWD will make sure this is not an issue and alum is applied correctly. Minnesota Pollution <br />Control Agency guidelines for alum application require that the pH remain within the 6.0-9.0 range. <br />COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT <br />How can I support this project and other water quality work? <br />Attend all public meetings regarding this project. Let city and county staff know you support this project and support <br />improving water quality on Centerville Lake. Contact staff at RCWD to do your own water quality project such as a rain <br />garden or shoreline restoration with help from RCWD’s Grant Programs, https://www.ricecreek.org/grants/water- <br />quality-grants/ <br />Contact Information <br />•Project Contact: <br />Matt Kocian <br />RCWD Lake and Stream Program Manager <br />mkocian@ricecreek.org <br />•Kendra Sommerfeld <br />RCWD Outreach and Communications Coordinator <br />ksommerfeld@ricecreek.org <br />6