Empowering Our People
Managing the public health risk
Strategies and practices to safeguard water quality and protect public health.
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) pose a significant threat to water quality and public health, making their management a crucial concern for water service providers. These rapid growths of algae can produce toxins that contaminate drinking water, disrupt aquatic ecosystems, and pose health risks to humans and animals.
This toolkit aims to equip water service providers with the knowledge and resources necessary to understand, monitor, and mitigate the impacts of harmful algal blooms. By implementing effective strategies and practices outlined in this guide, water service providers can safeguard water quality, protect public health, and ensure the sustainable management of water resources.
This action plan is for Queensland drinking water service providers whose approved Drinking Water Quality Management Plan does not include HAB management.
In November 2023, Queensland Health hosted a workshop with representations from the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, the Water Supply Regulator, the Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services laboratory, qldwater , Sunwater, Seqwater, Mount Isa Water Board, two universities and a consultancy. As an outcome of the workshop, Queensland Health developed the generic HAB Action Plan specifically for Queensland drinking water service providers whose approved Drinking Water Quality Management Plan does not include HAB management.
The workshop was in response to concerns around the increasing frequency in potentially harmful algal blooms (HABs), particularly for HABs impacting drinking water service providers who may have limited experience with HABs or may be experiencing HABs for the first time and are unaware of how to best manage, report and treat HABs. Existing guidance in the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) can be challenging to follow without additional interpretation.
In November 2024, Queensland Health released a new HAB FAQ on their refreshed ‘Water contaminants and public health risks’ webpage. Questions include:
Cyanobacterial blooms challenge utilities in their commitment to producing high-quality drinking water due to the potential production of secondary metabolites such as cyanotoxins or taste and odour (T&O) compounds. When producing these metabolites, cyanobacterial blooms are commonly referred to as HABs.
This manual offers guidance on early detection and source water management strategies to minimise the risk associated with cyanobacterial blooms. Information presented here is a synthesis of project findings from a survey of drinking water utilities with bench- and field-scale evaluations. The manual provides utilities with strategies that can be used to (1) create a structured early warning monitoring program using a tiered approach, (2) evaluate benthic sources of cyanobacteria, and (3) evaluate methods to prevent or control blooms in source water supplies.
The manual was produced by the Water Research Foundation and you will need to create a free account to be able to download it.
The CRC for Water Quality and Treatment in partnership with SA Water, United Water International and Veolia Water developed a guide to help water utilities better manage cyanobacteria in source water and all stages of the treatment process.
The Management Strategies for Cyanobacteria (Blue-Green Algae): A Guide for Water Utilities is a comprehensive manual which consolidates current knowledge on the management of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae).
(Please note that this was published prior to name changes for some common species of cyanobacteria.)
The ADWG contains guidance on cyanobacteria and their toxins, including health effects for toxins, and notification and alert levels for key species. The information in the guidelines is based on decades of experience with HABs in Australia.
Pages 355 to 376 (version 3.8, updated September 2022) contains detailed information on cyanobacteria and their toxins, including notification and alert levels for key species, and a health-based guideline value for microcystins. Please note that these guidelines were produced before changes were made to the names of key species of cyanobacteria.
The American Water Works Association published an excel file designed to help utilities understand the conditions (pH, oxidant dose, contact time) required to degrade different cyanotoxins.
Lab name | Phone | Website | Address | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Townsville Laboratory Services | 4727 8666 | labenquiries@townsville.qld.gov.au | Townsville Laboratory Services | 421 Angus Smith Dr, Douglas QLD 4814 |
Ecoscope Environmental | 4926 0630 | admin@ecoscope.com.au | Ecoscope Environmental | 79 Elphinstone Street, Berserker QLD 4701 |
ALS Environmental | 3243 7222 | ALSEnviro.Brisbane@alsglobal.com | ALS Global | 2 Byth Street, Stafford QLD 4053 |
ALS Environmental | 4773 0000 | ALSEnviro.Townsville@alsglobal.com | ALS Global | 13 Carlton Street, Kirwan QLD 4817 |
Symbio Laboratories | 1300 703 166 | Admin@symbiolabs.com.au | Symbio Labs | 52 Brandl Street, Eight Mile Plains QLD 4113 |
Queensland Health | 3096 2850 | Rebecca.Morgan3@health.qld.gov.au or Karen.Reardon@health.qld.gov.au | Queensland Health Water Testing | 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains QLD 4108, Australia |
Biosecurity Sciences Laboratory | 3708 8762 | bslclo@daf.qld.gov.au | Biosecurity Services | Health and Food Sciences Precinct, 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, QLD 4108 |
SAS | 3856 7550 | SASLAB@urbanutilities.com.au | SAS Laboratory Services | 180 Ashridge Road, Darra QLD 4076 |
City of Gold Coast Scientific Services Laboratory | 5581 1960 | scientificservices@goldcoast.qld.gov.au | Gold Coast Scientific Services | Smart Water Research Centre, Southport QLD 4215 |
The warm conditions that makes Queensland so attractive to those living in colder climates unfortunately means that cyanobacteria blooms (otherwise known as Harmful Algal Blooms or HAB) appear in surface waters unusually early in the season, and in locations where they have historically been infrequent.
In 2023, qldwater hosted a series of webinars focused on three different aspects of HABs that are relevant to drinking water service providers, followed by member perspectives in Townsville and Mount Isa.
Recordings of the webinars are available below:
Thursday 20 October 2023
by Matthew Coulton, General Manager Agriculture and Water at the Bureau of Meteorology
We have all seen a warmer than average winter and now, with both an El Niño and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) underway, their combined impact can increase the chance of below average rainfall over much of Australia and higher temperatures across the southern two-thirds of the country. Based on history, it is now also more likely that warm and dry conditions will persist over eastern Australia. El Niño events also increase the risk of extreme temperature shifts like heatwaves, hotter days and increased fire risks. Matt provided a Climate and Water briefing for the 2023-24 summer.
Thursday 26 October 2023
by Ted Aldred, Manager Water Supply Regulation – Water Operations and Systems, Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water
Blue green algae outbreaks in surface waters can be challenging for water service providers, especially when coupled with other risks that are heightened by high temperatures. Boiling drinking water is not an effective means for removing or inactivating toxins associated with HABs. In this webinar Ted talks about the role of the Drinking Water Quality Management Plan in managing these risks to provide safe drinking water for your community.
Download Management Strategies for Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae): a guide for water utilities
Thursday 2 November 2023
by Dr Phil Choi, Senior Environmental Health Scientist, Queensland Public Health and Scientific Services, Queensland Health
The conditions that favour HABs include warm temperature, stratified water and calm or stagnant conditions: all circumstances that are associated with drier than usual wet seasons. If HABs do occur, they have the potential to impact drinking water supplies as well as recreational and irrigation water supplies. Queensland Health is currently updating its FAQ on HAB, and in this presentation Phil provides an overview of the different kinds of algae, the impact of location that leads to toxins forming, and how these impact on the health of people and animals.
Other resources mentioned in the presentation:
American Water Works Association Resources on Cyanobacteria/Cyanotoxins
US EPA Resources on Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms in Water Bodies
Thursday 9 November 2023
In this webinar we have presentations from water service providers with experience in management of harmful algal blooms reflecting on different mitigation strategies, what worked, what didn't and other lessons learned.
Tania Strixner-Harvey from Mount Isa Water Board presents on "Blue-green algae at Clear Water Lagoon: The journey so far…"
Trish Knavel and Laura Shiels from Townsville City Council presents "Managing Harmful Algal Blooms – Townsville City Council’s Experience"