Support AWT

Clean Marco Waters, LLC is a local citizens' advocacy group dedicated to restoring, preserving, and protecting Marco Island’s canals, marine ecosystems and habitats.  

We recently sampled the thick mats of algae found in a local canal, and the lab results were alarming. Six types of blue-green algae were identified, and ALL OF THEM are potentially TOXIC to people, pets and marine life. These harmful algae were not found in the City’s quarterly water tests, which only sample the clear water, not the algae mats that are often visible in the canals. Current testing may be missing serious warning signs. 

If nothing is done, these toxic algae mats could grow into larger, more dangerous blooms. This would harm the environment, reduce water quality, and pose risks to public health. 

We have conveyed our results to the City and City Council. To fix this, the City needs to regularly test algae mats, not just the clear water. We also need to move forward with Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT) to reduce pollution and enforce the Fertilizer Ordinance more seriously. 

This is about more than aesthetics: It’s about protecting the health of our families, our visitors, our pets, our wildlife, and OUR INVESTMENT IN MARCO ISLAND. 

Clean Marco Waters, LLC urges city leaders and the public to take this issue seriously, and to take appropriate action. PLEASE TELL CITY COUNCIL YOU SUPPORT AWT and other NUTRIENT REDUCTION efforts to improve water quality.  

The key to water quality progress is nutrient reduction!