Albert town blockage to be investigated

Reports of an algae-like substance blocking the domestic water connection to a small number of properties at Albert Town will be investigated further by the Queenstown Lakes District Council, QLDC water services manager John Porter said.


A minute amount of some kind of dead algae matter is thought to have been the cause of partly blocked ‘in-line strainers’, which filter water to households.


“A strainer is only a few centimetres long and it takes very little to block these connection pipes, a quarter of a teaspoon will do it,” Mr Porter said.


Blocked household water pipes were not uncommon but the council would investigate in this case as three households had reported an issue.


“The most probable explanation is that given the warm temperatures in Lake Wanaka there has been some kind of algal bloom which has made it through the intake screens,” Mr Porter said.


If the matter was algae of any kind it would not be able to survive in the chlorinated water and without light.


“There is no health risk or health implication, it’s really just a nuisance factor if enough of the matter can get through the pipes to block household filters,” Mr Porter said.


The council would check the lake’s intake and would send a small sample of the matter, collected by a plumber, to be tested.


“This kind of thing can happen, hopefully it’s a one-off caused by the ongoing warm temperatures,” Mr Porter said.