Management of Phosphorus and Nitrogen Inputs to Lake Rotorua, New Zealand

Abstract

The water quality of Lake Rotorua has deteriorated since the 1960s because of excessive phytoplankton growths caused by increased inputs of phosphorus and nitrogen from the Rotorua city sewage treatment plant. Removal of phosphorus alone may produce no measurable improvement in lake condition unless it can be made the limiting nutrient. Even then, this may take a number of years, because of recycling of phosphorus already in the lake system. Removal of nitrogen alone may reduce phytoplankton growth, in the short term (say 5–10 yr) but is not recommended because the algal community may become dominated by heterocystous blue‐green algae, which can meet their nitrogen requirements by fixing dissolved molecular nitrogen and form dense unsightly assemblages. Thus, removal of both nitrogen and phosphorus is recommended. A suggested aim is to restore the lake condition to that which prevailed prior to the 1960s, before widespread public concern about phytoplankton growths developed. The scientific view is that this lake condition is achievable and will reduce the frequency and magnitude of nuisance algal blooms, maintain reasonable water appearance and clarity for recreational purposes, minimize periods of deoxygenation, and reduce internal nutrient inputs. Removal of all sewage effluent from the catchment is expected to achieve the nutrient load reduction that is required. Any sewage discharge increases the risk that the lake condition will be unsatisfactory, but this risk is probably low if the sewage inputs are less then 3 tonnes (t) of phosphorus and 30 t of nitrogen per year.