Syracuse, N.Y. -- For the first time since a toxic algae outbreak was confirmed Friday on Skaneateles Lake, toxins have been found in drinking water drawn from the lake.

The initial level of the toxin, called microcystins, is just below the threshold the federal government has set for children. It was found in the drinking water in the village of Skaneateles, which gets its water from the city of Syracuse's two intake pipes in the lake.

Here's what we know about problem so far, and what we're still waiting to find out:

Is my water safe to drink? Yes, said Onondaga County Health Commissioner Dr. Indu Gupta.

"At this point, with the information we have, yes," Gupta said. A joint statement from the state, county and city issued Tuesday night also said you can keep drinking the water because the levels "are below the EPA's 10-day health advisory level of .30 parts per billion for sensitive populations."

Gregory Boyer, a biochemistry professor who runs the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry algae testing lab, agreed.

"The important thing to remember is that the EPA guideline has a huge safety factor built into it," he said. "The guideline is very conservative and protective of human health."

How widespread is the contamination? That's not clear yet. The only sample that has tested positive so far is the one in the village of Skaneateles. Gupta said more tests are being done today to determine how far the toxins have gotten. Based on these results, she said, there may be more widespread testing.

What is the city doing now? The city is conducting more tests and is adding more chlorine to the water. One research study said that "chlorine has been found to be effective for the degradation of microcystins."

Gupta said, however, that chlorine can neutralize only some of the toxins.

"We can't say (adding chlorine) is going to take care of everything," she said. "It shouldn't be a false sense of security."

Mayor Stephanie Miner told Syracuse.com Tuesday that if microcystins were found in drinking water, the city could tap into a four-day supply of emergency storage and get water from other agencies. The city has an agreement with the Onondaga County Water Authority to get 10 million gallons per day, about a third of the city's normal usage.

Will the problem get worse with the hot week ahead? It might. Gupta cautioned that the dry, hot weather ahead could form new algal blooms.

Will the city have to filter its water? Syracuse is one of the few major water systems in the country that doesn't need a filtration plant. A state health official said this week it's "too early to tell" if the city would ever need to install a filter system. Miner said the question of a filter system is premature.

A carbon filtration system would be expensive and a last resort, Boyer said. The city could first study putting its intake pipes deeper into the lake. The pipes are now at 20 and 35 feet deep.

"Thirty feet is not particularly deep," Boyer said.

The city of Auburn, which draws its water from Owasco Lake, just installed a system this year after years of algae outbreaks. Auburn's water pipe is about 35 feet deep.

Is the water safe for my pets? Drinking water from the tap is safe for humans and pets, Gupta said.

The danger with pets, particularly dogs, comes when they swim in water that has blue-green algae. The toxins stick to a dog's fur, and when the dog licks itself it ingest high levels of the toxin. Keep your dogs out of the water and, if you think they've been exposed to algae, hose them off as soon as they get out.

What are the symptoms if I ingest algae toxins? The symptoms are similar to other stomach ailments: Upset stomach, nausea, and possibly vomiting.

No one will get sick from the very low level of toxins in the drinking water, Boyer said. A person would have to ingest water from a highly polluted algae bloom while swimming to get sick, he said.

Why is this algae bloom happening now? Algal blooms depend on two things: high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous in the water, and hot, dry weather that accelerates algae growth. The wet spring -- particularly torrential rains on July 1 -- may have washed nutrients into the lake from farms, lawns and leaking septic systems. Now that hot, dry weather has finally arrived, the algae are feeding on those nutrients.

Will this happen again? That's anybody's guess. Boyer said this could be a one-time event. It could also be the beginning of a long string of blooms.

"Water bodies that have blooms are more likely to have them in the future," said Rebecca Gorney, the state Department of Environmental Conservation's program coordinator for harmful algal blooms. "While (the algae) have probably always been there in low numbers, once you have a bloom they remain in the sediments of the lakes, and the blooms can recur when the conditions are right."

Do you have any questions you'd like us to find answers to? Let us know in the comments.

We'll update this story as we know more.

Contact Glenn Coin: Email | Twitter | Google + | (315) 470-3251