Quebec's Liberal government will introduce a regulation this fall to prohibit phosphates in dish soap and other detergents.

Environment Minister Line Beauchamp announced the plan at a Tuesday meeting on Quebec's blue-green algae problem.

Beauchamp said she's lobbying the federal government to modify its rules on phosphates, which she argues would have a greater impact than an isolated provincial dictate. 

But until that happens, Quebec will bring in stricter rules, following the lead of Manitoba, which banned dishwater phosphates in June, the minister said.

Quebec will also propose new regulations on pleasure-craft waste-water disposal and will restrict existing rules on septic tanks.

The numerous pledges include an additional $90 million in funding over 10 years to help farmers adopt practices that are less polluting.

Quebec will also revise its blue-green algae warning system, which often creates misunderstanding and leads to revenue loss in tourist-dependent lake regions, Beauchamp said.

About 158 Quebec lakes were singled out this summer because of the presence of blue-green algae, known as cyanobacteria, which can in certain cases poison the water.

The algae blooms when high amounts of phosphates leech into lakes. Lawn and garden fertilizers are commonly blamed for increased phosphate levels.

When a lake is contaminated by blue-green algae, it can be toxic to humans who drink the water. Cyanobacteria can have harmful effects on the liver and nervous system, in both humans and animals.

Premier Jean Charest said it's imperative to not oversimplify the blue-green algae problem. It's not fair to just blame farmers. It's important to "allocate responsibility in the right places," he said in French.

The algae situation is a "serious problem" but it's "not a crisis," he said.

Part of the challenge is to educate people about the need to care for large bodies of water. Charest noted that there is a growing number of baby boomers who live year round in rural lake areas, which are not equipped for intense human settlement. 

With files from the Canadian Press