Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) can bloom in marine and freshwater and cause additional problems for water utilities when they produce toxins and taste and odour compounds. This project consolidated a wealth of knowledge and experience in the management of cyanobacteria into an electronic / online international, practical, and user-friendly manual. It includes information about conducting risk assessments, developing monitoring programmes and incident management strategies, and management procedures to mitigate the risk posed by cyanotoxins.

This report on analysing the economic impact of harmful and nuisance algal blooms (HNABs) on the Australian water industry is the first effort in two decades to estimate their economic impact. Understanding the full impact of blooms on recreational water use, source water management, water treatment (for drinking, stock, agricultural and recycled water), and finished water quality, enables industry to better evaluate and target research into bloom mitigation and management.

The research was successful in identifying and categorising the present-day costs associated with the management of harmful and nuisance algal blooms in Australia. However, there is insufficient information to extrapolate a national estimate for the ‘cost of algae’ for the whole country.