Tell Us What You’re Testing For: Make Adrian’s Cyanobacteria & Cyanotoxin Results Public
The Issue
To: City of Adrian Officials and Adrian Utilities Department
We, the undersigned, are asking the City of Adrian to make all cyanobacteria and cyanotoxin testing results publicly available on the City of Adrian website.
This request is simple: If the City is testing for it, residents should be able to see the results.
The Issue
In 2021, the City of Adrian stopped publishing cyanobacteria and cyanotoxin test results on its website. However, recent FOIA requests have revealed that these tests have continued to be conducted consistently. Residents deserve to know why these results are no longer being shared publicly.
Cyanobacteria, sometimes called blue-green algae, can produce compounds responsible for unpleasant taste and odor, including geosmin and 2-MIB. Some cyanobacteria can also produce toxins known as cyanotoxins.
These toxins can pose serious health risks. Depending on the type and level of exposure, cyanotoxins may affect the liver, skin, or nervous system. Symptoms can range from skin irritation and rashes to more serious health effects. Because Adrian’s drinking water is connected to the local water source, residents deserve access to information about what is being tested and what the results show.
Taste and odor may be what residents notice first, but residents should not have to rely on those signs—or submit a FOIA request—to learn what is being detected and monitored in their drinking-water source.
We are asking the City to publish results for testing that includes, when performed:
Cyanobacteria identification, counts, or concentrations
Microcystins
Anatoxin-a
Cylindrospermopsin
Saxitoxins
Other cyanotoxins tested for by the City or its laboratories
Geosmin and 2-MIB
Relevant raw/source water and finished drinking water results
Laboratory reports associated with this testing
Why transparency matters
Transparency and public access to environmental data empower residents to make informed decisions about their health and safety. Publishing these results does not mean every detection represents an immediate health threat. It means residents have access to the same information being used by their public water system.
Other communities provide residents with timely information about environmental and water-quality concerns. Adrian should do the same.
Results should be presented with enough context to help the public understand them, including:
Date and location of sample collection
Whether the sample was raw/source water or finished drinking water
Substance or organism tested
Result and unit of measurement
Laboratory detection/reporting limit when applicable
Whether the result was a detection or non-detect
Any applicable EPA health advisory, state guidance, or other benchmark used by the City
Publishing these results is not just about transparency. It is about trust and accountability. Residents deserve to understand the conditions affecting their drinking water, and public officials should be accountable for maintaining and communicating the City’s water-safety standards.
Our request
We respectfully ask the City of Adrian to:
Create a permanent, easy-to-find water-quality webpage dedicated to cyanobacteria and cyanotoxin monitoring.
Publish all current cyanobacteria, cyanotoxin, geosmin, and 2-MIB testing results.
Restore available historical results and laboratory reports so residents can see trends over time.
Post new results promptly after they are received by the City.
Clearly identify what is being tested, where samples are collected, and what the results mean.
Keep this information publicly accessible without requiring residents to file a FOIA request.
This is not about creating fear.
It is about transparency, trust, and informed residents.
Adrian residents have been discussing seasonal taste and odor problems for years. If cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins are important enough to monitor, the results are important enough to share.
Test for it. Name it. Publish it.
Please join us in urging City officials to make comprehensive cyanobacteria and cyanotoxin testing results readily available on the official City of Adrian website.
Transparency matters. Adrian residents deserve to know what is being tested in their water—and what the testing shows.
252
The Issue
To: City of Adrian Officials and Adrian Utilities Department
We, the undersigned, are asking the City of Adrian to make all cyanobacteria and cyanotoxin testing results publicly available on the City of Adrian website.
This request is simple: If the City is testing for it, residents should be able to see the results.
The Issue
In 2021, the City of Adrian stopped publishing cyanobacteria and cyanotoxin test results on its website. However, recent FOIA requests have revealed that these tests have continued to be conducted consistently. Residents deserve to know why these results are no longer being shared publicly.
Cyanobacteria, sometimes called blue-green algae, can produce compounds responsible for unpleasant taste and odor, including geosmin and 2-MIB. Some cyanobacteria can also produce toxins known as cyanotoxins.
These toxins can pose serious health risks. Depending on the type and level of exposure, cyanotoxins may affect the liver, skin, or nervous system. Symptoms can range from skin irritation and rashes to more serious health effects. Because Adrian’s drinking water is connected to the local water source, residents deserve access to information about what is being tested and what the results show.
Taste and odor may be what residents notice first, but residents should not have to rely on those signs—or submit a FOIA request—to learn what is being detected and monitored in their drinking-water source.
We are asking the City to publish results for testing that includes, when performed:
Cyanobacteria identification, counts, or concentrations
Microcystins
Anatoxin-a
Cylindrospermopsin
Saxitoxins
Other cyanotoxins tested for by the City or its laboratories
Geosmin and 2-MIB
Relevant raw/source water and finished drinking water results
Laboratory reports associated with this testing
Why transparency matters
Transparency and public access to environmental data empower residents to make informed decisions about their health and safety. Publishing these results does not mean every detection represents an immediate health threat. It means residents have access to the same information being used by their public water system.
Other communities provide residents with timely information about environmental and water-quality concerns. Adrian should do the same.
Results should be presented with enough context to help the public understand them, including:
Date and location of sample collection
Whether the sample was raw/source water or finished drinking water
Substance or organism tested
Result and unit of measurement
Laboratory detection/reporting limit when applicable
Whether the result was a detection or non-detect
Any applicable EPA health advisory, state guidance, or other benchmark used by the City
Publishing these results is not just about transparency. It is about trust and accountability. Residents deserve to understand the conditions affecting their drinking water, and public officials should be accountable for maintaining and communicating the City’s water-safety standards.
Our request
We respectfully ask the City of Adrian to:
Create a permanent, easy-to-find water-quality webpage dedicated to cyanobacteria and cyanotoxin monitoring.
Publish all current cyanobacteria, cyanotoxin, geosmin, and 2-MIB testing results.
Restore available historical results and laboratory reports so residents can see trends over time.
Post new results promptly after they are received by the City.
Clearly identify what is being tested, where samples are collected, and what the results mean.
Keep this information publicly accessible without requiring residents to file a FOIA request.
This is not about creating fear.
It is about transparency, trust, and informed residents.
Adrian residents have been discussing seasonal taste and odor problems for years. If cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins are important enough to monitor, the results are important enough to share.
Test for it. Name it. Publish it.
Please join us in urging City officials to make comprehensive cyanobacteria and cyanotoxin testing results readily available on the official City of Adrian website.
Transparency matters. Adrian residents deserve to know what is being tested in their water—and what the testing shows.
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on August 27, 2026