MEDIA RELEASE 24 MAY 2006

Health warning lifted for Lake Rotoehu

The bloom of cyanobacteria that has affected Lake Rotoehu since early January has subsided and the health warning has been lifted.

“Cell counts of the potentially toxin-producing micro-organism are below levels where any health effect is likely,” says Medical Officer of Health for Bay of Plenty and Lakes Dr Phil Shoemack.

He says Lake Rotoehu is particularly susceptible to blooms because it has levels of nutrients (such as nitrogen and phosphorus) and is a shallow lake.

“Blooms have been recorded in Rotoehu every summer since 1993 when regularly monitoring began and they may have occurred undetected prior to that,” says Dr Phil Shoemack.

There are now no warnings affecting any of the lakes in the Rotorua district.

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