The number of complaints over the sticky substance clogging water filters in Wanaka has dropped but remains high in Queenstown.
Lake snow — caused by Lindavia intermedia algae — first appeared in Lake Wanaka in 2004, and has since been found in Lake Wakatipu.
It has caused problems for swimmers and town water supplies, clogging household water filters in particular.
Queenstown Lakes District Council chief engineer Ulrich Glasner told a meeting of the Wanaka Community Board last week apathy or an acceptance of the algae could be the reason for the decrease in complaints from Wanaka over the past year.
Meanwhile, in Queenstown, the number of complaints remained high, he said.
‘‘This week I have had email correspondence with one of the big hotel chains representing three hotels and they have just put filters in and they say they are they having to clean them on a fortnightly basis.’’
Mr Glasner said the council was continuing to trial the Arkal Amiad self-cleaning disk filter system in Wanaka and Queenstown and was also monitoring the success of a membrane plant in Clyde.
A decision would be made soon, as the council planned to have the major water treatment plants at Lake Wanaka and Lake Wakatipu up and running by the end of 2024, he said.
