High blue-green algae levels in water regularly trigger alerts in the Western Plains, with Lake Cargelligo experiencing a red alert as recently as 29 January.

To tackle this and other water cleanliness issues, a Western Australian company is making waves in water treatment, tackling pollution in lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and even farm dams around the world.

The Water Cleanser has been created by Robert Morgan from Marine Easy Clean.

Originally (and still) pearl farmers from Shark Bay in WA; Mr Morgan's family has a deep understanding of aquatic ecosystems.

That knowledge applies in both salt and freshwater systems, including inland dams and waterways where summer often brings risky levels of blue-green algae.

Blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, usually give water a green appearance, although they can take on a bluish tint as they begin to die off.

These algae thrive in still water with warm temperatures, stable weather, and a high nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratio.

A ‘bloom’ occurs when algal cells multiply in large numbers, discolouring the water, reducing its quality, and sometimes creating unpleasant odours.

Blue-green algal blooms are just one type of water pollution Marine Easy Clean works to address.

“A lot of my customers are farm owners, and we also sell to the swimming pool market," Mr Morgan said.

The expansion of his business has been a pleasant surprise for Mr Morgan who said the product come about almost by accident.

“My family has been in the pearl farming industry for over one hundred years," he said.

"Around 30 years ago, Wattyl Paints were given $5 million by the Australian Government to develop an anti-fouling product for the pearling industry.

"We were one of the test farmers."

Creating an anti-fouling product for water has brought about a career change for pearl farmer, Robert Morgan.

"After a couple of years of using these paints, it affected our shells.

"I started looking for a faster way of putting these paints on to eliminate a lot of the problems and then started looking at waxes,” he said.

“I wanted to develop a nontoxic anti fouling product and had a crazy idea to make wax really slippery in water.

"I managed to do this without knowing that this slippery surface was a biofilm of bacillus bacteria that end up cleaning water.”

Mr Morgan admits that, in the early days he used his experimental product in his friend’s fish tank to test its toxicity.

“The fish were fine, but I had to settle my friend down with a carton of beer," Mr Morgan said.

Once proven, his product The Water Cleanser became hugely popular.

Prior to Covid, Mr Morgan said he was doing 50 – 70 hours a week of air travel, and while he still does a lot of work in China, he is happier staying close to home.

“It just got crazy, he said.

“Now I mainly work in China, cleaning canals and other waterways.

Only recently have China started implementing septic systems by law.

"There are beautiful canals and they are filthy," he said.

“What is important is we don't actually kill blue green algae.

"We create balance and reset the biological ecology of water. Everything needs to be there.

"Years ago, when I was working for the Water Corporation and E coli was considered the worst bacteria’s that are out there for human health, but also the enzymes E coli produce break down the final stages of phosphate.

"We actually need E Coli in the water, but it needs to be at a level that it's non-toxic.

"It’s the same with cyanobacteria, it is a very important bacterium.

"Only when their levels that high that they produce neurotoxins that are bad for their health.

“It’s about beating the bossy bacteria.”

Find out more about Marine Easy Clean and how it may assist with their water issues.