GOODYEAR, Ariz. — A Valley neighborhood is concerned about toxic algae in their community pond. We talked to some homeowners like Claudia Aguirre, who says this is a recurring problem and that the dead fish and green film across the pond need to be addressed.
"This should've been taken care of a long time ago," Aguirre said.
She's talking about the pond turned swamp that's the centerpiece of their community.
"It's a concern for pretty much everybody that lives in this area that has to come out to their back door and smells that terrible stench," she said.
She's lived in this neighborhood for 15 years and says the complaints aren't catching any attention from the homeowners association.
"We've talked to the HOA, we've submitted complaints through Facebook and it just seems like there's excuse after excuse and nothing has gotten done," she said.
While our cameras were rolling, crews were scooping out the dead fish, part of the problem-solving property owners are hoping for.
"It's just that this situation, I don't want people to come in looking for a house and see this. It's embarrassing," she added.
The association hired Arizona Land and Pond Management to clean the water, but under the Department of Agriculture guidelines, they can't overdo it with chemicals for a quick fix, leaving Aguirre and other neighbors disgusted.
"They said that they're trying to do it slowly so they're already dead," Aguirre said.
The community responded with a statement that said in part:
"Across the Valley, planned communities and golf courses with manufactured lakes have been challenged with the extended period of excessive heat, which has contributed to the loss of oxygen levels in the lakes. When this occurs, the dissolved oxygen levels become critically low, which impacts the oxygen supply to fish. We are working with Arizona Lake and Pond Management (ALPM) to address the condition of North Lake. At the same time, ALPM has been treating an algae bloom, a process that requires multiple treatments over a period of time. We will continue to keep our residents informed and updated on our progress."