WPCNR East Side Story. By John F. Bailey. August 31, 2006. UPDATED SEPTEMBER 1, 2006, 9:45 P.M. E.D.T.: A sickly green stagnant algae bloom has returned to White Plains once pristine Silver Lake very similar to the algae bloom discovered in the lake 13 months ago.

WPCNR's Mobile Unit was driving past Silver Lake Thursday afternoon when I noticed the massive green patch in the middle of the lake and a ring of green circling the lake at the shore for at least three quarters of the circumference. The White Plains end of Silver Lake where the West Harrison border commences was choked with green surface scum from where the lake empties into the Mamaroneck River North to the White Plains side dock. Water was still, had film on the surface in addition to the brilliant pea soup algae. On the Harrison side trash was observed floating on the scum, the surface was so thick with it.

The Mayor's Executive Officer, Paul Wood, told WPCNR Friday evening this was the first time he had heard of the new algae slick, and said he had fired off an e-mail to the Commissioner of Public Works, Joseph Nicoletti, to look into the problem Tuesday morning. Wood said the Town of Harrison had assured White Plains it would repair the leaks in the sanitary sewer line which caused a comingling of raw sewage with storm water drain overflow that ran into the lake last July to which last summer's algae stagnation was attributed.

Last year at this time a similar bloom erupted in the lake necessitating the discreet, unannounced closing of the lake by the City. The cause was found to be raw human waste resulting from an overflow of the West Harrison sewer during a rain event of July 18, 2005. WPCNR was informed at the time by the White Plains Department of Public Works that Harrison was going to fix the sewer, which overflowed into the storm water drains that enter the lake.

WPCNR placed calls to the Mayor's Office, the Department of Public Works and the Department of Recreation and Parks to ascertain what the cause of the algae bloom could be, whether or not it is again overflow from the Harrison sewer,  from last weekend's heavy rains, and whether the lake is now closed to visitors. WPCNR awaits the city explanation for the algae bloom and when it developed. The Silver Lake Liberty Park was created by the city at the cost of approximately $600,000, but was closed for half the summer last year, and now appears again to be in a condition not suitable for the public.