The returned water will be cleaner and contain far less phosphorus than the water it mixes with in southern basin of Cayuga Lake, reducing the overall phosphorus concentration. During the summer months when algae is of concern, the outflow will actually be cooler than the lake water around it. It will be marginally warmer than the surrounding lake only in winter when algae growth is not a factor and the outflow from LSC is significantly reduced. There will be no residual heat buildup from year to year. LSC does not add any new phosphorus to Cayuga Lake.
Most phosphorus comes from two sources, sewage and runoff.
Conventional chillers might be more cost-effective for Cornell in the short term, but the energy needed to run them, generated by burning fossil fuels, is five times the amount needed for Lake Source Cooling. No other alternative to conventional chillers can provide the environmental benefits of LSC, and none can be scaled either to suit Cornell's geological setting or to meet the university's cooling needs.