Townsville’s earthy-tasting water due to ‘unprecedented’ algal bloom

Townsville residents may experience a difference in the taste and odour of tap water due to unprecedented algal bloom affecting parts of the city’s water network.

Townsville residents may experience a difference in the taste and odour of tap water due to unprecedented algal bloom affecting parts of the city’s water network.

Townsville City Council revealed its dealing with “unprecedented algal bloom” issues in Ross River Dam due to the current heatwave, with low concentrations of Geosmin and MIB detected which may affect the taste of water in parts of the city’s water network.

A spokesman from council said the naturally occurring organic compounds have no health effects, and the water was safe to drink and use for all normal purposes.

Mayor Jenny Hill said some water conservation measures would need to be taken.

“We need to encourage the community to conserve outdoor water use and council will take the lead by turning off irrigation,” Cr Hill said.

“The community can help by conserving water use around the house. This is as easy as turning off your irrigation when it’s raining and taking shorter showers.

Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said some water conservation measures will need to be taken due to the city’s ongoing algal bloom issues.

“The predicted rain later this and into next week will help. Due to the rain at the beginning of this week water demand has reduced in recent days by approximately 50ML/d as residents naturally reduce outdoor use after rain.”

Cr Hill said the summer months increased the risk of algal blooms across the region, including the dam, and impacted the rate at which water could be treated in the city.

“When algae levels in the dam are high like they are at the moment, it places additional load on the treatment plant and can reduce the volume of water we can safely produce for the city and may also impact the taste or colour of the water,” Cr Hill said.

“Managing these tropical blooms can be challenging and council assesses each scenario as it emerges to identify appropriate treatment responses.

“We have implemented several initiatives to minimise the impacts of algal blooms in the dam including working closely with highly regarded water quality experts to identify algae bloom treatments.

“While we continue to manage the potential impacts of these blooms, we have also invested in improving our water treatment technology and ability to remove impurities.

“The two new clarifiers at the Douglas Water Treatment Plant, one of which commenced operation this week, will provide an additional treatment process to help us maintain consistent levels of water supply during these seasonal bloom events.”

For more information on Townsville water supply, visit Council’s Townsville water updates page.

Originally published as Townsville’s earthy-tasting water due to ‘unprecedented’ algal bloom