City testing new tech to battle algae blooms in stormwater ponds

Idea is reduce nitrogen, which can reduce algae blooms, improve water quality

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Algae blooms are causing major problems in Northeast Florida waterways. 

Starting this week, the city of Jacksonville is performing a new test to find solutions to reduce the life-killing bacteria. 

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The city is partnering with the Florida Department of Transportation, St. Johns Water Management District, Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board and Florida Department of Environmental Protection in this new effort to fight algae blooms. 

Several city and state organizations are working together to treat nine local stormwater ponds throughout the city with Microbe-Lift. 

Jacksonville is one of the first cities in the state to perform this kind of test. 

Microbe-Lift is a good bacteria that is used to reduce the amount of Nitrogen found in the waterways.

Lowering the amount of nitrogen can help reduce the amount of algae blooms and improve the city's overall water quality. 

The organizations said it was time to try something different. 

"We're doing the conventional treatments such as stormwater ponds. We retrofit a few, like putting baffle boxes in. We're doing septic tank phase out. We're doing the street sweeping. We're doing what we can conventionally to reduce total nitrogen from getting to the St. Johns River," said Melissa Long, Environmental Quality Division Chief. "It's not going to be enough. We have to do more. And so one of the things we're trying to do is look at innovative products or maybe not necessarily innovative products but used in an innovative way."

Algae blooms can be harmful to people, kill fish and threaten the overall quality of the water. 

"We have algae blooms in the St. Johns River. And one of the things the city, as well as other municipalities and other stakeholders around the St. Johns River, have to do is reduce total nitrogen," Long said. "We're all working toward making a better St. Johns River for us and better water quality there. And so that's one of the things the city is doing. We have a huge obligation that we have to meet. And one of the ways we're trying to do that is through innovative technologies."

The organizations will test the ponds for the next year in hopes that this new test will serve as another tool in the fight against algae blooms.