GLADSTONE AREA WATER BOARD PO Box 466 Gladstone Qld 4680 (147 Goondoon St) Phone: (07) 4976 3000 Fax: (07) 4972 5632 Email: [email protected]Website: www.gawb.qld.gov.au Beef producers and agricultural users in the region who source their water directly from the Boyne River and its tributaries should be aware that BGA blooms can occur on farm dams and at sites accessed along the waterways. Farmers should prevent access to affected water and provide alternative supplies. Current research indicates that BGA toxins can also affect cropping. Further information regarding this should be sourced from the relevant authorities, including the Department of Primary Industries. For more information go to http://www.qld.gov.au/ environment/water/quality/algae/livestock/ Agricultural Use BGA toxins can accumulate in the edible flesh of crayfish, mussels and other shellfish. Mussels, yabbies and other shellfish caught in algae infested waters should not be consumed. Anglers are reminded that BGA toxins can also accumulate in the internal organs of fish. The liver and gastro-intestinal tract of fish caught in BGA infested waters may be poisonous and should not be consumed. Further information regarding the impact of BGA on fisheries should be sourced from the relevant authorities, including the Department of Primary Industries. Effects on Fauna What it is and how it effects us. Barramundi and other fish in Lake Awoonga are considered safe to eat if caught in waters where Blue-Green Algae have been detected, provided they are washed in clean water and the organs removed.
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GLADSTONE AREA WATER BOARDPO Box 466Gladstone Qld 4680(147 Goondoon St)
Phone: (07) 4976 3000Fax: (07) 4972 5632Email: [email protected]: www.gawb.qld.gov.auBeef producers and agricultural users in the region who source
their water directly from the Boyne River and its tributaries should be aware that BGA blooms can occur on farm dams and at sites accessed along the waterways. Farmers should prevent access to affected water and provide alternative supplies.
Current research indicates that BGA toxins can also affect cropping. Further information regarding this should be sourced from the relevant authorities, including the Department of Primary Industries.
For more information go to http://www.qld.gov.au/environment/water/quality/algae/livestock/
Agricultural Use
BGA toxins can accumulate in the edible flesh of crayfish, mussels and other shellfish. Mussels, yabbies and other shellfish caught in algae infested waters should not be consumed.
Anglers are reminded that BGA toxins can also accumulate in the internal organs of fish. The liver and gastro-intestinal tract of fish caught in BGA infested waters may be poisonous and should not be consumed.
Further information regarding the impact of BGA on fisheries should be sourced from the relevant authorities, including the Department of Primary Industries.
Effects on Fauna
What it is and how it effects us.
Barramundi and other fish in Lake Awoonga are considered safe to eat if caught in waters where Blue-Green Algae have been detected, provided they are washed in clean water and the organs removed.
WHAT ARE
Blue-Green Algae?DRINKING WATER &
Drinking untreated water directly from Lake Awoonga or any lake or river is not advisable at any time. Water from Lake Awoonga is treated at either the Gladstone or Yarwun Water Treatment Plants according to the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines to make the water safe to drink. The Gladstone Regional Council then supplies this water to domestic users.
The effect of ingesting Blue-Green Algae in water is still not clearly understood. As a precaution, bathing, swimming or showering in water with high concentrations of Blue-Green Algae should be avoided. Skin rashes can occur on sensitive people and there is always the possibility of ingestion from primary contact activities such as swimming and water skiing. Across Queensland and Australia there have been reports of eye irritations, sore throat, ear-ache, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, muscle weakness or cramps in people who have had primary contact with BGA blooms.
For specific details on risks associated with BGA, please visit the Queensland Government’s website: http://www.qld.gov.au/environment/water/quality/algae/
When routine monitoring indicates that the level of BGA in Lake Awoonga has risen, GAWB will advise the community and other agencies to inform them of the current alert level.• At the Low Alert level, GAWB will continue routine monitoring.
Signs in the GAWB managed recreation areas will indicate this level.• At the Moderate Alert level, GAWB will increase water quality
testing and adjust signs at recreation sites to indicate that the BGA is now at Moderate Alert level.
• At the High Alert Level, GAWB will step up water quality monitoring again, test for toxins, adjust recreational areas signs, issue a media release for the community and inform Queensland Health and other relevant agencies of the current alert level.
During a High Alert GAWB recommends that you do not come into contact with the water, however we do not prohibit access to the Lake.
Water quality at the water treatment plants and in the drinking water network is rigorously monitored by GAWB, according to our Drinking Water Quality Management Plan. Treatment is designed to remove BGA cells and toxins through clarification, filtration, chlorination and, if necessary, with the addition of powder-activated carbon.
Any concerns about your household water supply should be directed to the Gladstone Regional Council on 4970 0700.
Recreational Activities
Blue-Green Algae (also called Cyanobacteria or BGA) are microscopic photosynthetic bacteria that are natural inhabitants of our waterways, estuaries, and the ocean. Blue-Green Algal blooms are very common over summer in farm dams, in lakes, in estuaries and in slow moving rivers across Australia.
Some BGA species are toxic and can release toxins into the water. These toxins may cause illness in humans, aquatic animals and livestock. Some algae species also release compounds which produce musty or earthy tastes and odours into the water.
In still waters, such as lakes and reservoirs, BGA can multiply rapidly, especially in summer months when water temperatures increase and water clarity improves. BGA can sometimes cause the water to become discoloured so that it appears green, blue-green or greenish-brown. You may observe this discolouration in some quiet, still areas of Lake Awoonga. Gladstone Area Water Board (GAWB) undertakes regular water quality monitoring of the Lake to inform storage management actions and treatment of the water.
GAWB also undertakes visual surveys for BGA, which can form a slick on the surface of the water during calmer weather as the BGA cells rise to the surface of the water.
These slicks can sit on the surface of the water or the shoreline, and may disappear and reappear on subsequent days as a result of wind action. Most species at Lake Awoonga do not form ‘scums’ (like you might see in the estuarine or marine environment) and their blooms are often not easily visible.
The Queensland government has a state-wide Harmful Algal Blooms Response Plan (2014), which is accessible at their website: http://www.qld.gov.au/environment
Based on these guidelines, GAWB has in place a Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Action Plan, also incorporating the National Health and Medical Centre’s Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and advice from BGA experts.
The HAB Action Plan includes how GAWB should:• Monitor and respond to BGA in recreational areas
managed by GAWB, which includes advice to the community of the current alert levels and appropriate recreational activities.
• Monitor and respond to BGA for drinking water quality management, which includes specific treatment options and actions in response to the number and type of BGA in Lake Awoonga source water.
Concentrations of BGA in Lake Awoonga are not significantly different from other lakes in Queensland during the hot, still summer months. Water quality testing results are available directly from GAWB on request.
