The Sept. 10 “Global Water Summit” will feature discussion of the ongoing water treatment system at Lake Elsinore.
LAKE ELSINORE, CA — Officials from Lake Elsinore and representatives from a water treatment company that deployed a system earlier this year to eliminate algae and other impurities in the 3,300-acre water body will hold a “Global Water Summit” a week from Tuesday to highlight progress in the transformation process.
The city’s partnership with Hawthorne-based Moleaer Inc. was announced just before Christmas, and within a couple of months, the company deployed its Nanobubble Generators system to begin cleansing the water, in what Lake Elsinore Mayor Steve Manos characterized at the time as a major move toward “progressive and sustainable change.”
“The Global Water Summit on Sept. 10 will feature presentations, discussions and interactive sessions that highlight a ‘One Water’ approach to water treatment and the transformative impact of nanobubble technology on various treatment points, including large water bodies like Lake Elsinore,” according to a municipal statement. “Attendees will have the opportunity to explore the potential of this cutting-edge technology in addressing global water challenges and ensuring a sustainable future for communities worldwide.”
The Nanobubble Generators feature industrial-strength Titan NB6 nanobubble circulation units stationed on a floating barge that’s anchored in Lake Elsinore. The system is designed to treat 2,400 gallons of water per minute, according to Moleaer CEO Nick Dyner.
“Nanobubbles are extremely efficient at transferring oxygen into the water, which decreases the amount of phosphorus released from the bottom of the lake and reduces harmful algae blooms,” Dyner said.
He said the generators inject nanobubbles that are 2,500 times compacter than grains of sand and contain a “charged surface,” which in algae- riddled water agitates sediment and disperses contaminants, without need of chemicals.
“Through this collaboration, significant strides have been made to restore and preserve the lake’s ecosystem, ensuring it remains a vital resource for the community and a model of environmental stewardship,” the city stated. “Within the first month of Moleaer’s pilot treatment, water clarity reached the highest level it had been in four years, and after four months of treatment, there was a 95% reduction in accumulated organic matter — muck — at the lake bottom in the pilot treatment area.”
The technology application has been part of a $2 million restoration effort initiated by the Lake Elsinore City Council. Manos said the system was central to the overall Lake Management Plan to ensure long-term ecological balance in the freshwater lake — the largest body of its kind in the region.
During the Sept. 10 summit, there will be boat rides and “interactive sessions” that provide interested parties an opportunity to see the nanobubble system in action up close.
Algae blooms have prompted “no swimming” restrictions and prohibitions on other recreational uses at the lake numerous times, typically during the spring and summer months. In June, an algal bloom led the California Water Resources Control Board to post warnings around the lake, discouraging people from going into the water for any type of recreation due to cyanobacteria hazards.
Algal growth is attributed to higher volumes of nutrients in the water, combined with elevated temperatures, lots of sunshine and little to no wind.
