8 December 2011

Algae persists at Weston Park East

| johnboy
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The National Capital Authority are warning that the blue-green algae threat in the lake has not abated.

The National Capital Authority (NCA) advises Weston Park East remains closed to primary contact recreation.

The blue-green algae levels and bacteria levels in Weston Park East are at the ‘High Alert Level’.

The water is closed to primary contact recreation as exposure to this level of blue-green algae and bacteria carries an increased risk of adverse health effects.

Primary contact recreation means recreation that involves whole-body water contact or submersion of the head. Examples include swimming, diving and windsurfing.

Secondary contact recreation (such as rowing, fishing, boating and canoeing) will still be permitted although persons engaged in secondary contact recreation should be careful to limit any water exposure

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Here is some recent info I just googled about this:
http://www.hansard.act.gov.au/hansard/2011/week03/1126.htm

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/31/3178404.htm?site=canberra

I wonder if the inquiry got to the bottom of this? Or is this why we are trialling the solarbee thingys? Hahaha!

Skidbladnir said :

milkman said :

Time to flush the lake, I reckon. Let it run dry, clean up the bed and then let it refill.

As much as I like your initiative at trying to achieve a total solution, please provide further detail on how exactly do you intend to sterilise the megatonnes of lakebed and remove all trace of algae, and does this plan extend to the upstream riverbed and erodable topsoils?
Also, how will you remove the excess phosphorous from the incoming runoff water from human settlement?

Treating any issues with the lake itself might be closer to the realms of human achievability.

My plan is to empty the Queanbeyan sewage treatment works into the empty lake bed and let it dry in the hot summer sun.

milkman said :

Time to flush the lake, I reckon. Let it run dry, clean up the bed and then let it refill.

I think the problem is more to do with the s#*t that runs into the lake – literally from Qbn – along with other runoff from Canberra.
I remember hearing at the time of the floods last December that the Qbn sewer was ‘broken’ and leaking crap into the lake, and the flood exacerbated that. However, it had been leaking for some time anyway. They said then that they had no money to fix it and I imagine that is still the case? i.e It’s probably still leaking into the lake. I wonder if the ACT govt just asks them to pay a ‘fine’ for that?

milkman said :

Time to flush the lake, I reckon. Let it run dry, clean up the bed and then let it refill.

As much as I like your initiative at trying to achieve a total solution, please provide further detail on how exactly do you intend to sterilise the megatonnes of lakebed and remove all trace of algae, and does this plan extend to the upstream riverbed and erodable topsoils?
Also, how will you remove the excess phosphorous from the incoming runoff water from human settlement?

Treating any issues with the lake itself might be closer to the realms of human achievability.

Time to flush the lake, I reckon. Let it run dry, clean up the bed and then let it refill.

I may be wrong but I really don’t recall having this problem in the lakes ten or so years ago?

There was a lot less people and their stuff going into the lake then. Now, the various storm-water runnoffs contain nutrients from the many, many more people who live in the ACT, and the lake gets overloaded with them.

taxmoneydownthegurgler1:22 pm 13 Dec 11

Here in Canberra we have a world famous lake, the centerpiece of the nations capital that has phosphorus levels which continually cause toxic Blue Green Algae blooms.
The fix is simple. Treat the lake water with the only water treatment agent in the world suitable (and regulatory body approved) for lake restoration.
PHOSLOCK. An Australian company.
No gimmicks, wild claims or unsubstanciated data. It simply fixes the cause of the problem. If it works for LBG the same way as it does for the lakes on my property, then the NCA is on a winner!

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