Protocols for algal bloom management - technology performance & optimisation assessments

There is a need to have a clear and consistent approach to assessing the efficacy and performance of the growing number of algal bloom management technologies emerging on the market. Often technologies are offered by suppliers with the promise that they will solve algal bloom issues. However, there are a number of factors that, if poorly understood and addressed, can result in performance being unsatisfactory for water utility needs.

For more information please visit our Algal Innovation Research Program

Objectives:

• Development of a customisable protocol for selection, deployment, and performance assessment of algal bloom management technologies
• Algal bloom review report indicating how the technology performs after the agreed operational timeframe in the field trials (listed below)
• A final report showing the performance of the technology over the agreed period of assessment of how well they performed against the protocol.

The protocol development and performance trial field assessments will be run by WaterRA, using water quality data supplied by the participating water utilities, as specified in the performance trial protocol within the following field trial packages:

• Trial package for Intelligent Water Networks (IWN), Veolia & Central Highlands Water
• Trial package for Melbourne Water
• Assessment package for Valley Water (California, USA)
• Assessment package for Water NSW
• Assessment/trial package for Hunter Water

• Assessment/trial package for Corangamite Shire

BMAA State of knowledge in collaboration with neurologist from Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard Medical School (USA) and Melbourne based The Alfred Hospital (Australia).