Water—our planet’s most vital resource—is under threat. Across continents, lakes, rivers, and reservoirs are turning green from harmful algal blooms (HABs), fueled by rising temperatures, nutrient pollution, and climate-driven weather extremes. These outbreaks aren’t just unsightly, they’re toxic. They jeopardize drinking water, harm aquatic ecosystems, disrupt local economies, and pose significant health risks.
Now, a new global partnership between BlueGreen Water Technologies and Winrock International seeks to confront this escalating crisis head-on.
Announced in June 2025, the collaboration combines the BlueGreen groundbreaking water treatment technologies with Winrock strengths in community engagement and watershed expertise. The two organizations will pilot HAB mitigation projects in vulnerable water bodies worldwide, blending cutting-edge science with boots-on-the-ground collaboration.
Harmful algal blooms (HABs)are more than an environmental nuisance. When algae proliferate unchecked, they often release cyanotoxins, compounds linked to liver damage, neurological disease, and cancer. The danger is especially acute in communities with limited access to clean water infrastructure.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, exposure to HABs has been associated with severe illness in humans and animals alike, and outbreaks have increased significantly in frequency and intensity over the last two decades.
“These blooms undermine the fundamental right to clean, safe water,” says Eyal Harel, CEO and co-founder of BlueGreen Water Technologies. “They endanger health, food supplies, biodiversity, and climate stability.”
Based in Houston with global reach, BlueGreen Water Technologies has emerged as a global leader in treating HABs. Its signature product, Lake Guard®, utilizes controlled-release hydrogen peroxide granules to target toxic algae directly, restoring ecological balance without harming aquatic life.
What sets the technology apart is its speed and scalability. Many affected water bodies rebound in just days after application. Moreover, by collapsing algal blooms rather than rupturing cells, Lake Guard helps prevent toxin release and accelerates the natural sinking of biomass, contributing to measurable carbon sequestration. In Utah’s Mantua Reservoir, BlueGreen intervention captured nearly 13,000 metric tons of CO₂-equivalent, verified by third-party environmental assessors.
While its carbon market potential has attracted investor interest, the BlueGreen mission remains rooted in planetary and public health.
Winrock International, a global nonprofit, brings decades of experience in environmental sustainability, agricultural development, and clean water access. The organization has a reputation for working alongside local communities and government agencies to implement nature-based solutions that balance ecological and social needs.
Aaron Sundsmo, Winrock Associate VP of Agriculture and Water, emphasizes that addressing HABs isn’t just about treating symptoms—it requires upstream solutions. “Community engagement, stakeholder trust, and long-term strategies to reduce nutrient pollution are essential. That’s where our strengths align with BlueGreen’s vision.”
By partnering with Winrock, BlueGreen gains an experienced ally in building locally responsive frameworks. Together, the two will integrate chemical treatment with watershed restoration, sustainable agriculture, and environmental education.
The partnership will launch its first pilots in high-risk regions identified through water quality data, community needs, and ecological urgency. These initiatives will pair BlueGreen’s precision treatments with Winrock-led efforts in stakeholder coordination, regulatory navigation, and long-term land use planning.
The collaboration also aims to generate actionable environmental data to inform policy and attract sustainable investment. With HABs projected to intensify globally, scalable, science-backed, and socially grounded models like this will be vital.
BlueGreen is also in active trials with marine research partners, including Florida’s Mote Marine Laboratory, to adapt its technology to fight ocean-based HABs like red tide, which devastate marine biodiversity and coastal economies.
This partnership reflects a growing recognition that health and environmental outcomes are interlinked. Climate change, industrial agriculture, and pollution are not isolated crises—they converge in ways that challenge traditional silos of action.
“Solving water contamination issues requires more than a technological fix,” says Harel. “It demands a unified approach—combining innovation, policy, and people.”
In a world where over 2 billion people already lack safely managed drinking water, solutions that restore water health while building resilience and equity are more than innovations—they are imperatives.
The BlueGreen-Winrock alliance represents a forward-looking strategy for a world in ecological flux. It’s a model that others in the global health, sustainability, and climate tech sectors would do well to follow: technology married to trust, environmental impact driven by community inclusion.
Water is life. Safeguarding it—from HABs or any threat—must be a shared priority. This new partnership is a promising start.
