GOULBURN-MURRAY Water has again warned people against coming into contact with the water at Lake Eppalock.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It comes after a property owner documented an apparent increase in blue-green algae at the lake.
Dale McGillivray said the algae near Moorabbee Road was so pronounced he could see it from his kitchen window.
His property is about 200 metres from the water.
Photographs Mr McGillivray took on Monday showed bright green scums, which he said covered more than 150 metres of the lake's shore and grew in clumps in the water.
Algae was also visible in photographs from the week prior, but to a lesser extent.
"I was in shock. So was my father," Mr McGillivray said.
Goulburn-Murray Water has had a blue-green algae warning active for Lake Eppalock for almost three months.
Water quality manager Greg Smith said there was not a lot Goulburn-Murray Water could do about the algae other than monitor it.
"We are very limited in what we can do to treat it - in fact, there is nothing we can do on that sort of scale," Mr Smith said.
He said the appearance of scums on the lake could vary, both over time and in different areas.
"We're not seeing that it's getting particularly worse - or better, for that matter - but it might vary in any one place," Mr Smith said.
He said a lot of factors contributed to the algae's growth.
"It's proven it can adapt to any conditions," Mr Smith said.
Mr McGillivray said the algae was getting worse as the years went by. He believed the issue had become significantly worse in the past two years.
"The lake is not coping with it," Mr McGillivray said.
He was concerned there might be a link between algae and low-quality water releases from Coliban Water's water reclamation plant in Kyneton.
Mr Smith said he couldn't speculate on that.
Asked to comment on the credibility of a link, Coliban Water said blue-green algae was a regular occurrence at Lake Eppalock in the summer months.
A spokesperson said an increase in the intensity and duration of blue-green algae blooms had been noticed across many water sources with a changing climate, "particularly in the River Murray and associated channels."
"Managing the increased risk of blue-green algae blooms is part of our climate adaption considerations in our Strategy 2030 strategic plan," they said.
They said 10 blooms of blue-green algae had been detected at Lake Eppalock since 2006, when the first bloom that required a recreational warning was detected.
Coliban Water said Goulburn-Murray Water started testing for blue-green algae at Lake Eppalock in the 1990s.
Goulburn-Murray Water operates and manages Lake Eppalock.
What you should do when visiting the lake
Goulburn-Murray Water's ongoing advice for blue-green algae at Lake Eppalock is as follows:
- People and pets avoid contact with the water.
- People who come into contact with affected water should wash affected skin immediately in clean cold water.
- Seeking an alternative water supply for stock and pets where possible.
- Do not use affected water for cooking, drinking, washing or showering. Boiling the affected water will not make it safe for these purposes.
Symptoms of algae contact include skin rashes or itchiness; sore eyes, ears and nose; or if swallowed, nausea or vomiting.
The algae contains toxins that are harmful to both humans and animals.
Goulburn-Murray Water said it was not possible to predict how long the algae would remain at high levels.
Visitors to the lake could still sight-see and enjoy other activities that did not involve direct contact with the water, Goulburn-Murray Water said.