WWCC is continuing with a new trial by water cleaning company Hydro2050, despite rival company Marine Easy Clean’s claims it won’t work. Photo: Chris Roe.
Australian water environmental company Marine Easy Clean has accused Wagga Wagga City Council of turning down its “proven” method to cleanse Lake Albert.
The town’s main waterway has long been plagued by outbreaks of blue-green algae, a potentially toxic bacteria that can cause skin irritation and other health problems for both humans and animals.
The lake’s restricted use has frustrated residents enduring a long, hot summer.
Marine Easy Clean Sales Manager Roger Gagliardi says he approached Wagga Council offering a product that eliminates the Cyanobacteria’s internal food reserve and also stops dead algal blooms from becoming a sludge, thereby preventing its rebirth.
But he said the council did not respond, something he can’t understand, given his product has had “proven” results overseas in England, the United States, China and New Zealand, in addition to other parts of Australia.
“We have successfully treated quite a number of council lakes in Western Australia and are active on some mining sites as well,” he said.
“What we do is, when there’s a problem in the water, which is usually a bacterial imbalance with cyanobacteria taking over and becoming dominant, it then blooms and can release toxins. What we do is put in our water cleanser block, which is simply a wax block, which is infused with trace elements that make bacillus bacteria multiply twice as fast.
“Our aim is to very quickly rebuild the amount of bacillus bacteria in the water, because once you do that, the bacillus starts to take over, and it works out on its own what a particular body of water needs, because it’s part of the natural process.
“Since 2013 we have moved into Asia, America and Europe. We’ve got expansion happening in Australia as well, with the councils in New South Wales, a few in Victoria, and a couple of councils in Queensland,” he said.
Region asked WWCC whether it received an offer from Marine Easy Clean and if and why it rejected the proposal. It did not answer our question, but provided the following statement.
“Council has investigated many emerging products and technology options for the potential treatment of blue-green algae within Lake Albert over several years. As a result of the most recent investigation into possible treatments, Council resolved to trial Hydro2050 technology over a period of six months,” a council spokesperson said.
WWCC has tried several approaches to combating algae in the lake in recent years, including a 2023 trial of a Waterzyme, which uses enzymes to remove harmful bacteria.
However, an apparent lack of success in this approach resulted in Council pivoting to Hydro 2050, which uses an ozone-based treatment approach that is aimed at causing algae blooms to deteriorate by producing a consistent stream of ultra-fine bubbles (nano-bubbles that are one micron in diameter).
“I would like to see Wagga council give our product a go after this trial ends,” Mr Gagliardi said.
Loading ...
