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Islanders recently enjoying a stroll around Queen's Valley Reservoir may have got a shock to discover that much of the area had turned an almost luminous green... but why?
When Express asked Jersey Water for an explanation, Water Quality Manager Jeanette Sheldon reassured islanders that it was "a naturally occurring phenomenon" and not a cause for concern.
The large patches of green were caused by algae, which is completely removed during the treatment process, she said.
— Dominic Jones (@DominicCJones) August 7, 2023
Pictured: Some islanders took to social media to share their surprise at the sight.
In Jersey, the typical season for algal blooms is between March and October every year.
"Algae will appear in any body of raw water when there is a build-up of nutrients, such as phosphorous and nitrogen," Ms Sheldon explained.
Pictured: Jeanette Sheldon, Water Quality Manager at Jersey Water.
"We always monitor the levels of algae in our water as part of our daily sampling and testing. We treat algae when it occurs in the reservoirs and we also treat it at our treatment works, where it is removed completely as part of the process of supplying high quality drinking water to our customers," she continued.
"The weather is a significant factor for the amount of algae that might be visible in the water – for example, sunlight and high temperatures will cause algal blooms, while wind and rain disturb the water and can disperse the algae," she added, noting that it was something islanders "don’t need to be concerned about".
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