GAINESVILLE, Ga. — The City of Gainesville announced it had deployed three ultrasonic buoys in Lake Sidney Lanier to address persistent taste and odor issues caused by record-high algae levels.
The Gainesville Department of Water Resources partnered with LG Sonic in December 2025 to install the technology as a long-term, chemical-free solution for the city’s primary water source.
According to city officials, the MPC-Buoys were placed in the water in mid-January 2026 and have the potential to reduce algae by 95% without harming aquatic life.
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While recent testing confirms the water is safe to drink and meet all safety requirements, the city sought the ultrasonic technology to eliminate the musty taste and earthy smells caused by the algae blooms.
The MPC-Buoys, which stands for “monitor, predict and control,” emit low-power ultrasound waves in the top water layer.
This generates a constant pressure cycle that interferes with the algae’s ability to regulate buoyancy. Deprived of the ability to reach the surface for sunlight or the bottom for nutrients, the algae sink and decompose naturally.
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Gainesville Water Resources Director Linda MacGregor said the technology targets the source of the odor.
“By emitting sound waves that disrupt the buoyancy of algae, you’re preventing them from releasing the compounds that cause the musty taste and odor issues,” MacGregor said in a statement.
Beyond algae control, the buoys are equipped with sensors that monitor water quality every 10 minutes. MacGregor noted the devices track parameters including chlorophyll a, blue-green algae, pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and temperature.
“Data is key when it comes to understanding this complex natural phenomenon,” MacGregor said.
The City of Gainesville is the first in Georgia to use this technology, though other regional utilities have reported similar challenges.
“All utilities withdrawing water from both Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River are expressing these issues to varying degrees,” MacGregor said, adding that other lakes have experienced identical issues this year more frequently than in previous years.
The buoys were secured under a six-month rent-to-own contract and are located near the water intake at the Riverside Water Treatment Plant. MacGregor explained that the active sound waves extend approximately 2,600 feet.
“We are pilot testing whether this technology effectively impacts the water that Gainesville withdraws,” MacGregor said. “For now, our pilot test will not impact all of Lake Lanier, just the area surrounding the Riverside WTP.”
The pilot test is one of several operational changes the Department of Water Resources has made to address taste and odor complaints. Other adjustments include analyzing lake samples three times a week, adjusting withdrawal depths and increasing powdered-activated carbon injections.
MacGregor said that staff have been working “around the clock” as unprecedented algae levels have proven more difficult to treat than in previous years.
“The City appreciates the public’s patience as taste and odor compounds continue to decrease,” MacGregor said, emphasizing that the water was safe to drink. “In the meantime, we can assure you the water is safe to drink and use for other purposes, despite the earthy smell and taste caused by natural phenomena in the lake.”
Gainesville officials are currently gathering data to track the performance of the buoys. MacGregor said it will be at least a month before the city expects to see trends.
The city will evaluate the concentrated impact of the units before considering whether to deploy additional buoys to other parts of Lake Lanier. Under the current contract, LG Sonic will provide maintenance for one year.
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