Blue Green Algae.

Submitted: Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 19:48
ThreadID: 43458 Views:3406 Replies:6 FollowUps:7
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Just a thought, if you pump your water from a river and you have a domestic water licence.

Let's say the river was infested with blue green algae.

What happens ? has anyone come across this problem ?

Blue green algae is toxic and can't be boiled to make it good ,can't get it on your skin,can't even let the dog or stock drink it or it's good night nurse (dead).
Sounds like scarey stuff.........

Cheers Jeff M. (SA)
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Reply By: Kev M (NSW) - Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 19:50

Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 19:50
From what I understand you need to filter it through an activated carbon filter to remove the nasties from the water. Well thats what we used as a kid in SW QLD

cheers Kev
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AnswerID: 228654

Reply By: marq - Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 20:02

Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 20:02
Multiple stage filtering (last stage carbon) and chlorination will be required (very easy to do).

Or recycle - with something like this:
A mob

I am sure there is info on the internet somewhere - google it...
AnswerID: 228658

Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 20:13

Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 20:13
Gave up water a long time ago.

Now only drink alcohol. Has a built-in disinfectant.
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AnswerID: 228661

Follow Up By: Member - jeff M (SA) - Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 22:46

Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 22:46
Had a bath or shower lately. He He
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Reply By: howie - Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 20:13

Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 20:13
some quotes from people who know.
To put the toxicity of blue-green algae in perspective,
Microcystis, one of the blue-green algae found in
Australian waters, produces a toxin called microcystin
LR. Microcystin LR is 200 times more toxic than
cyanide.
Blue-green algal toxins are colourless, odourless,
and can remain present in the water weeks after
the blue-green algae have disappeared. They are not
destroyed by boiling affected water.
When treating water affected by an algal bloom,
water treatment plant operators will adjust their
normal treatment regime so that they remove the
algal cells, the off-tastes and odours they produce,
and most toxins. They use a combination of
flocculation, filtration, chlorination and activated
carbon.
if these methods are not available (ie remote areas) the mixing of contaminated water with V.B. or XXXX in a 50/50% will make the water safe to consume.
if you have any worries with this method, just leave out the V.B. or XXXX
AnswerID: 228662

Reply By: Des Lexic - Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 20:38

Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 20:38
Scoof, after reading the above replies, here is what you need to do. Install all the necessary filters etc in the river just above your place and then all the water below your pump intake will be safe and uncontaminated.
I think that I should be safe then as your pump is only a couple of K's above mine.
Or else you can suck all the contaminated water out of the river and just let the good stuff flow.
AnswerID: 228672

Follow Up By: Member - jeff M (SA) - Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 22:24

Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 22:24
Hi Des,

The part were it's tastless , oderless but can still kill you,is not real good.

How do you test it and say yep to the Misses and Kids have a shower or fill the dogs bowl up the water is good now.If you can't smell it or see it, what the ???

The water mob are installing ultra violet sterilizers now in all the treatment plants .
But were will it leave us mate when we pump from the river.
Just a bit concerned may never happen.
I don't know enough about the filtration and testing side.
I have read a bit on the internet bit scarey.It lives up to 20metre's deap right up to the top.Just depends on were it feeds.When it dies it releasers more toxins and more gear for the next batch to feed off .I think that's right.
Scoof
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Follow Up By: Des Lexic - Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 22:57

Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 22:57
OK When you have died from blue green algie poisoning, just let me know and I'll stop using the water. Seriously though, I think if the water gets that bad, we will be advised not to use that water until it's safe to do so. Maybe I'll have to build a pool too as a water storage system.
I am lead to believe that the authorities can predict the conditions that the algie needs and they will be monitoring it fairly closely.
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Follow Up By: Member - jeff M (SA) - Wednesday, Mar 21, 2007 at 09:07

Wednesday, Mar 21, 2007 at 09:07
Mornen Des

Yeh may never get that bad, like I said just a thought.
Don't know how long we would last on rain water maybe 2 months.
Might be long enough.

Cheers have a good day

Jeff.M (SA)
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Reply By: Robin - Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 20:54

Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 20:54
You have me wondering Jeff

I was sort of wondering about this stuff myself as I was looking at the very green last 1/2 meter of water in my dam a couple of days ago.

I mean when the rains come will the whole dam be off for a while ?

A little later I came across one dead koala and then actually saw another bounce of the ground from a fall (didn't see first part of fall) , and I note them walking across the ground.

So while normally they get moisture from the trees I wonder if maybe they don't supplement it with ground water that could be contaminated.

Never actually seen one yet (koala) getting water from my dam.

Any thoughts along this line anyone ?

Robin MIller

AnswerID: 228676

Follow Up By: pips - Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 21:15

Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 21:15
now im worried if this can get into my bore water???
eep ! i hope not
cheers pips
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Follow Up By: Member - jeff M (SA) - Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 22:27

Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 22:27
Hi pips ,
I don't know about that but, temp and sun light help it along.So you may be OK.
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Follow Up By: Des Lexic - Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 23:02

Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 23:02
Scoof, maybe the bore will the way to go. I can't imagine the water table being very far away.
I priced a replacement bore today at Karoonda where the water table is at 180' and another 20 or 30' to get a reasonable water flow was going to cost around $15K including a submersible pump. I'm not sure what our water quality is like here but it could be an option.
Des
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