Recreational Lakes and Ponds
A Long-Term Approach to Recreational Water Management
For councils and water managers, preventing cyanobacterial blooms can be about much more than improving the appearance of a lake.
Maintaining water quality means helping to keep an important community asset open, accessible and available for recreation. Also ensuring the health of the community and its environment is a priority.
This installation below, demostrates how ultrasonic algae control can form part of a long-term management strategy for recreational lakes where recurring cyanobacteria and algae blooms can otherwise lead to health warnings, restrictions and closures.
Keeping a Popular Recreational Lake Open for Fishing & Recreation
Location: Kennington Reservoir, Bendigo, Victoria
Application: Recreational lake – cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) control
System: Twin EnviroSonic ES300 solar-powered system
Installed: 2018
Status: Original system remains in operation
The Challenge
Kennington Reservoir is a popular recreational lake located within Bendigo, Victoria. Surrounded by residential areas and community amenities, the lake is regularly used for fishing, kayaking, boating and other recreational activities and is stocked with fish to support recreational fishing.
Recurring cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) blooms had become an ongoing management issue, periodically requiring the lake to be closed to recreational users.
These closures not only affected water quality but also restricted community access to an important recreational asset.
The EnviroSonic Solution
In 2018, a solar-powered EnviroSonic system incorporating two ES300 units was installed to provide continuous ultrasonic algae control across the lake.
The solar-powered configuration enabled the system to operate continuously without requiring mains electricity at the installation point.
EnviroSonic uses ultrasound and controlled cavitation within the water column to target buoyant cyanobacteria. The ultrasound disrupts the gas vesicles used by many cyanobacteria to regulate buoyancy, reducing their ability to rise to the surface and form concentrated blooms.
The system provides an ongoing, chemical-free approach to algae management, rather than relying solely on reactive treatment once a bloom has developed.
The Result
Since the EnviroSonic system was installed, cyanobacterial blooms have been successfully controlled and no further algae-related recreational closures have been reported.
Importantly, this has been a long-term result rather than a short-term treatment response.
The original EnviroSonic units installed in 2018 remain in operation today, demonstrating the system's suitability as a long-term algae-management solution.
Key Outcomes
No algae-related lake closures reported since installation
Continuous algae management since 2018
Recreational access maintained for fishing, kayaking and boating
Chemical-free
Solar-powered operation suitable for an on-water installation
Original EnviroSonic units remain operational
Low ongoing maintenance requirements
Ongoing Maintenance
The pontoon solar option requires annual preventative maintenance to ensure the ultrasonic units, solar system, electrical components, pontoon and moorings remain in good operating condition.
This annual inspection supports reliable year-round operation and helps maximise the working life of the system.
