The Water Storage Corporation Brabantse Biesbosch manages three interconnected deep reservoirs in the south western part of The Netherlands. These reservoirs, with a total retention period of five to six months, are employed for storage and upgrading of polluted and eutrophic water from the River Meuse. In the first two reservoirs, with a total retention period of 4-5 months, probably due to adsorption/settling and biodegradation there is a reduction of geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB) down to 1-2 ng/l, i.e. 60-70% of the concentration in the river water. In the last reservoir Petrusplaat a large benthic cyanobacterial population consisting of various Oscillatoriaceae produces geosmin from February till June. In 1984 this production resulted in an average concentration of 6 ng/l, i.e. 5-6 times the concentration of the inlet of this reservoir. Since 1985 cyanobacterial growth is controlled by rooting up the bottom with a harrow. This resulted in average concentrations of 1-3 ng/l, i.e. twice the average concentration of the inlet. No further reduction of 2-MIB has been observed in this reservoir. It is concluded that storage of eutrophic river water in deep reservoirs reduces the concentration of geosmin and 2-MIB. Autochthonous production however may interfere with this water quality improvement.
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