Pilot project uses nanobubble technology to battle algae blooms in Manitoba lake

Chelsea Kemp · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 16, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

After years of trying everything from aerators to chemic treatments, a southwestern Manitoba water plagued by stubborn algae is testing a caller solution — bubbles excessively tiny to see.

Betty Sawatzky, Killarney Lake Action Committee chair, said cyanobacteria, besides known arsenic blue-green algae, is simply a occupation successful Prairie lakes.

"It's a turquoise colour and it's toxic," she said. "You're astatine the mercy of the wind, astatine the heat, humidity, the nutrients that spell into the lake."

To amended h2o prime and forestall harmful algae growth, a nanobubble portion is being installed successful Lake Killarney. Sawatzky said the aviator task is the archetypal of its benignant successful Manitoba and uses exertion that infuses h2o with ultra-fine oxygen bubbles, which enactment suspended longer than accepted aeration systems.

Sawatzky said that helps disrupt the conditions that substance algae blooms. The task is portion of a broader propulsion to find eco-friendly, science-backed solutions that enactment the lake's ecosystem.

Past efforts to woody with problem

Lake Killarney has struggled with algae blooms for years, starring to formation closures and food kills, Sawatzky said. An aeration strategy added successful 2017 helped forestall closures and food deaths, but algae inactive return.

Sawatzky said the nanobubble strategy uses the aforesaid conception arsenic the existent aeration strategy — conscionable connected a overmuch smaller scale. It disperses bubbles passim each levels of the water to trim the disposable phosphorus that feeds algae blooms.

"You've got those tiny micro bubbles astatine the bottom, successful the mediate and towards the top.... It tin enactment to interruption down those other nutrients that provender the cyanobacteria that provender the algal blooms," she said. "If you tin halt the nutrient root of these algal blooms ... you lick your problem."

After 3 years of probe to find an eco-friendly and cost-friendly solution for the algae, the committee partnered with Calgary's SWAT Water Technology to trial nanobubble exertion successful a six-month aviator project, said unpaid Shane Warnez.

The unit, which was placed successful a tiny conception of the water known arsenic the Bay Friday, is conscionable a small bigger than a dehumidifier and has 2 hoses.

One draws h2o successful and injects it with oxygen bubbles, and the different hose sends it backmost into the lake.

Warnez said the water whitethorn look worse astatine first, with immoderate foaming, but if it works, the h2o should clear.

"It'll beryllium precise obvious, due to the fact that determination volition beryllium little algae, and arsenic a result, the water volition look a batch cleaner and clearer," helium said. "It's truly esthetics that we're looking at."

Water investigating volition way phosphorus and dissolved oxygen levels. The proceedings outgo astir $11,000, with SWAT Water Technology lending the instrumentality astatine nary cost. The main expenses are h2o investigating and astir $2,500 successful electricity, which the section cultivation society is covering.

Community watching closely

Cheryl Burke, who co-manages the adjacent Kerry Park Campground, said algae has wounded tourism implicit the years.

"At the opening of the season, it's good. And past arsenic soon arsenic the vigor hits it, it's green," Burke said. "I deliberation we'd pull much radical to the assemblage if our water wasn't green."

She remembers the 1990s, erstwhile the h2o was wide and the formation was full. She said algae tin get truthful atrocious these days that radical hesitate to fto their dogs aquatics successful the lake.

The assemblage is hopeful and is watching the aviator task closely, Burke said.

For now, the portion remains connected the eastbound broadside of the water successful the Bay, Sawatzky said. If things commencement to alteration for the better, helium said, it volition hopefully trigger the go-ahead to instal further units crossed the lake.