Bad Water Is Bad For Business
“The kids are afraid to go anywhere near it.”
“It smells like a septic tank. You can smell it from a half-mile away.”
“It has the color of neon blue-green paint.”
The scary, stinking, green ooze described above isn’t the Swamp Thing, or the subject of a cheesy horror movie. Rather, these descriptions, from Wisconsin waterfront business owners, refer to phosphorus-fueled toxic blue-green algae blooms that are occurring with troubling frequency and intensity on Wisconsin waterbodies in recent years. Read the following stories from local small business owners to find out more about the detrimental effect that poor water quality—blue-green algae in particular—is having on Wisconsin tourism-based economies and waterfront businesses.
““Has the algae impacted my business? Absolutely, last year I lost a customer who chose to buy in another location due to the bad water quality. Most of the year this is a wonderful location, but one bad experience with algae can turn someone away.””
“My business could be doubled if the green wasn’t here. People keeping boats at my marina used to call up prior to coming out here and ask whether or not an algae bloom was on. Now, they call and ask me how bad the algae is. There used to be a waiting list to get a slip in my marina. Now it’s tough to get it half full.”
“Does this [the algae] affect the value of my business? You’re damned right it does. I’m a taxpayer, and I employ 13 people. I’m trying to keep my people employed, but this algae and the economy has hurt our business on Petenwell and Castle Rock.”
“The three things they [prospective buyers] ask about the algae is first “is it a health hazard?’ then ‘what’s being done about it?’ and lastly ‘when will it be gone?’ I wish I could give them an exact date...”
“When my dad was a kid, it was clean. In the last 10-20 years, it has gotten worse and worse every year.”
“As a property owner who has a vested interest in the area, there are certain basic infrastructure components that have to be in existence, and water is first and foremost. Water and water quality is what is bringing people in to purchase property on the water.”
“Don’t keep wasting money on a temporary solution—a permanent solution needs to be found. If it’s just a temporary solution, like putting perfume on dogshit, it’s only temporary—it will smell again. Pardon my French, but that’s what’s gonna happen.”
“Imagine going to a lake resort and planning on using your boat, swimming in the lake, doing water activities—and not being able to do it. There’s no reason to go back again. I’ve been told by several people ‘Frank, we love your place, but we’re not going to allow our children into the water, so we’re not going to be back.’”