Six-figure algae trial cost revealed as Lake Albert report announced

More than two months after Wagga City Council issued a red alert for blue green algae in mid-January, residents are still waiting to use the lake again with the water body still closed.

Algal blooms continue to affect the lake despite the trial of a groundbreaking new bio-friendly treatment dubbed Waterzyme, which it has been revealed cost council $150,000.

That figure was released when the council released budget variations at its fortnightly meeting this week.

The natural components of that product bind to the blue green algae (cyanobacteria) when it is added to water.

This causes it to clump and sink to the bottom of the water within just days, starving the bacteria of light and leads to its destruction.

Despite its treatment in the lake since early January, there has to date been limited success - as seen by the lake's continued red alert blue green algal status.

Speaking following the council's meeting on Tuesday, manager of city growth and regional assets Ben Creighton said...

"On Monday night council formally allocated the money for the trial being undertaken at the moment," Mr Creighton said.

Addressing the question of whether the trial came under budget, he said it was a "fixed price trial".

"It was always going to be $150,000," he said.

Commenting on the trial, Mr Creighton said there have been some "positive signs" but acknowledged it hasn't been the "silver bullet" hoped for.

"While there has been a reduction in the blue green algae biovolumes, it's something both [the organisation] Waterzyme and the council are continuing to work at, to understand how this product - which had never been used on a very large scale lake before - might potentially help Lake Albert in the future," he said.

Mr Creighton also revealed the trial is now in it's final phase and said a report will be released "in the next month or so."

"That will be reported to the council, after which it will be up to council to determine whether to allocate any additional funds to the future of this or any other trial," he said.

"But that will depend on the outcomes of that report and consideration by council."

Mr Creighton said that report will come before council and be made public.

"It's intended this is a transparent process and that council talks about what some of the benefits and challenges were so we get a better understanding of how this product might work in the future," he said.