Wagga Wagga City Council has issued a blue-green algae alert at Lake Albert. Photo: City of Wagga Wagga.
Wagga residents and visitors are advised not to enter the water at Lake Albert after evidence of blue-green algae was detected.
Wagga Wagga City Council (WWCC) has issued a health alert advising that contact with the lake’s water should be avoided.
The increase in blue-green algae blooms is a result of a combination of warm weather, high humidity, and an influx of nutrients from the catchment.
Wagga City Council manager of city growth and regional assets, Ben Creighton, said the water from Lake Albert was unsuitable for drinking and recreational use, and the algae count was high.
“We’re advising everyone in the community to avoid coming into contact with water from the lake, and this includes your pets; dogs are especially susceptible to these toxins,” Mr Creighton said.
“Particular care should be taken where algae can be seen or where the water has a strong odour.”
Contact with affected water can cause skin irritation, mild respiratory effects, and hayfever-like symptoms. Ingesting toxins can also cause gastroenteritis symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, and headaches. Toxins can also affect the liver and nervous system.
Blue-green algae can appear as specking, suspended clumps or as algal scums which take the form of green or yellow discoloured slicks on the water surface. It can kill pets that ingest it.
As a member of the Murrumbidgee Regional Algal Coordinating Committee, the council follows the protocols in the Murrumbidgee Regional Algal Contingency Plan.
WWCC is putting up signs advising people to stay out of the water and will continue monitoring the situation.
“We appreciate everyone staying out of the water and we will notify the community as soon as the readings are at an acceptable level,” Mr Creighton said.
For more information about the lake, visit the City of Wagga Wagga Council website.
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