Cullman city utilities officials have responded to a recent state advisory cautioning against eating any largemouth bass caught from Lake Catoma and portions of Smith Lake, assuring water customers that drinking water drawn from Lake Catoma is safe.

The recommendations were issued Thursday by the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) in its annual fish advisory document covering Alabama waterways. It is the first year that Lake Catoma, along with seven other water sources statewide, has been included in the listing. 

All of the advisories covering Cullman County waterways are associated with mercury in fish as the potential health risk. The advisories do not address the presence or absence of toxins in water. 

“I want to assure everyone that the treated water from Lake Catoma is perfectly safe to drink,” said Dr. Wayne Fuller, Chair of the Utilities Board of the City of Cullman, in a release. “We monitor and test raw and treated water on a continual basis, both on site and through independent laboratories. State regulatory agencies validate the testing and results. Fish consumption advisories have no impact on drinking water quality.”

APDH advises against eating any largemouth bass taken from Lake Catoma, as well as the portion of Smith Lake at Ryan Creek extending from approximately 2.2 miles upstream of the bridge at County Road 222 to approximately 12 miles upstream of the Sipsey Fork. The department also advises eating very limited quantities of channel catfish, largemouth bass and spotted bass taken from other portions of Smith Lake. 

The utilities board noted that mercury occurs naturally in all waterways, and that mercury levels accumulate over time in fish. “Larger and more mature fish have higher levels than younger, smaller fish,” the board’s response stated. “The Lake Catoma watershed does not have a single point source discharge that contributes to the detectable mercury.”

The board also cited ADPH toxicologist John Guarisco, Ph.D., who observed that the Cullman Water Treatment Plant removes “any and all mercury deposits” from water taken from Lake Catoma before it is distributed to customers. 

“The city and ADEM (Alabama Department of Environmental Management) Annual Water Quality Report verifies mercury has not been detected in the finished water provided to customers,” the board said. 

To view the ADPH fish consumption advisories for 2018 online, visit alabamapublichealth.gov/tox/fish-advisories.html.