The condition of the water at Lake Minnewasta recently had residents asking questions about what was going on and what’s being done about it.
Things like algae growth are always going to happen to a degree, but recent conditions have contributed to it appearing worse than usual.
“Excessive nutrient load going into the lake is one of the factors contributing to the algae growth. The nutrients enter the water body from the farm runoff or yards,” explained deputy city manager Santokh Randhawa. “Some amount of algae growth is normal in water bodies. However, higher nutrient concentration in the water can accelerate the algae growth to a level that it becomes a problem.
“The algae in the raw water will require higher chemical dosages for treatment,” he added. “The treated water may get odor and some bad taste as well … but the treated water is safe for potable use.”
“Manitoba Health and water services watch and monitor all of the beaches in the province and monitor the water quality,” noted Mayor Nancy Penner. “It adds some challenges at the water treatment plant to work with the algae, but they work with the water and make it safe.”
“Typically, I think we get this in late August when the heat comes and we don’t get the rains,” she said. “We don’t always get this heat in July … so I guess it’s the perfect storm right now. We’ve got the heat, and we did get significant rain the July long weekend, but we haven’t had a lot of rain since then.”
Randhawa said the city has awarded the work for installation of an ultrasonic algae control system in the lake, and it is expected to be installed by mid or late August.
Ultrasonic algae control systems emit sound wave frequencies that disrupt the algae. The Manitoba Water Services will help fund the project, which comes with an overall cost of just under $500,000.
Penner noted the city had hoped to have it installed and in operation earlier but they were then told there was a logistical delay with the delivery of the equipment
“We’re still trying to fast track it … and Santokh is working hard with the supplier,” said Penner. “I get that there’s frustration and concern about it … the community is as frustrated as we are.
“Council’s been pushing this … asking why isn’t the equipment here … everything’s in place. We’ve got the environmental approval for it, so everything else is there.”
