Albert town sample proves to be algae

Warm weather and good growing conditions in Lake Wanaka are probably the cause of algae that found its way into the filter of several Albert Town properties, last week, Queenstown Lakes District Council acting water services manager John Porter said.

A minute amount of material was last week found to have blocked the 'in-line strainer', (which filters water to households) in three properties. A sample was sent for analysis.

“Laboratory testing has identified degraded cellular material from a microalgae, which has probably resulted from blooming conditions in Lake Wanaka coupled with the subsequent dying off of the plant matter,” Mr Porter said.


If such material managed to pass through the intake filter from the lake it was unable to survive without light or in the chlorinated environment.


The matter was a nuisance as opposed to presenting any health risk, he said.


“The problem has fortunately not proved to be widespread so we believe it was short lived,” Mr Porter said.


“Anyone with a reduced amount of water pressure should check their filters or call a plumber for assistance,” Mr Porter said.

The strainers were only a few centimetres long and it took very little to block connection pipes.