A FORMER prominent water chief has called on the Victorian Government to be "responsible" and leave a 30-gigalitre environmental reserve in Lake Eildon.
Former Goulburn Murray Water chief executive Russell Cooper said the reserve was held to flush the Goulburn River.
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He said a blue-green algae outbreak in Reedy Swamp near Shepparton could spill into the Goulburn, which supplied drinking water for the Shepparton and nearby towns.
"The possibility of this outbreak getting into the Goulburn is a lot higher than it was a week ago," Mr Cooper said.
"The only way to treat it is to flush the river."
Mr Cooper said the Goulburn's water treatment systems could not handle a blue-green algae outbreak.
He called on the Government to leave the reserve in Eildon, instead of taking it to Melbourne through the 70km north-south pipeline.
Mr Cooper said 10 gigalitres was earmarked for Melbourne, but it wasn't needed immediately.
"The responsible thing would be to say there's been a blue-green outbreak, so we'll leave the environmental reserve in case it's needed," Mr Cooper said.
A spokesman for Victorian Water Minister Tim Holding said taking 10 gigalitres from the reserve would leave plenty to address any issues in the Goulburn River.
