The pilot project uses nanbal technique for the fight for algae blooms in Manitoba Lake

After the years, after trying everything from erators to chemical remedies, a south -western manitoba lake, a stubborn algae, is testing a new solution – the bubbles are very small to see.

Betty Savatzaki, Chairman of the Killarni Lake Action Committee, said that Cyneobacteria, also known as Blue-Green algae, is a problem in the Prey Lakes.

“It is a turquoise color and it is toxic,” he said. “You are at the mercy of air, on the nutrients that go to the lake.”

To improve water quality and prevent the development of harmful algae, a nanobal unit is being installed in lake killer. Sawatzky stated that the pilot project is the first of its kind in Manitoba and uses technology that infects water with ultra-fun oxygen bubbles, which remains suspended for a long time compared to traditional aeration systems.

Sawatzky said that algae helps to disrupt the blooming conditions. The project is part of a broad push to find eco-friendly, science-supported solutions that support the lake’s ecosystem.

Last effort to deal with the problem

Lake Kilanney has fought with algae blooming for years, which closes the beach and kills the fish. A aeration system added in 2017 helped closure and prevent fish deaths, but algae still return.

Sawatzky said that the nanbal system uses the same concept as the current aeration system – just on a very small scale. It spreads bubbles at all levels of the lake to reduce the available phosphorus that blooms algae.

“You have obtained those small micro bubbles down, in between and tops. It can work to break the additional nutrients that feed the cyanobacteria that feed the algals to bloom,” he said. “If you can stop the food source of these Algal Blooms … then you solve your problem.”

Volunteer Shane Warnez stated that after three years of research to find an environmentally friendly and cost-friendly solution for algae, the committee participated with the SWAT water technique of Calgary to test nanobal technology in a six-month pilot project.

The unit, placed in a small part of the bay, known as Bay Friday, is slightly larger than a dehumidifier and has two hoses.

One draws water and injects it with oxygen bubbles, and the other hose sends it back to the lake.

Warnez said that the lake may seem worse than before, with some foam, but if it works, the water should be clean.

“This will be very clear, because there will be less algae, and as a result, the lake will look very cleaner and clear,” he said. “This is actually asthetics we are seeing.”

The water test will track phosphorus and dissolved oxygen levels. The cost of the trial is approximately $ 11,000, in which the machine was lended without any cost with SWAT water technology. The main expenses are water testing and about $ 2,500 electricity, which the local agricultural society is covering.

The community is watching closely

Cheryl Burke, a nearby Kerry Park Campground, said that algae hurt tourism over the years.

Burke said, “In the beginning of the season, it is good. And then as the heat is a hit, it is green.” “I think if our lake was not green then we will attract more people for the community.”

She remembers the 1990s when the water was clean and the beach was filled. He said that algae can be so bad these days that people hesitate to swim their dogs in the lake.

The community is hopeful and the pilot is closely looking at the project, Burke said.

For now, the unit remains east of the lake in the Gulf, Savatzki said. If things begin to change for better, he said, it is hoping that additional units across the lake will be triggered to move forward.