A pond in Parklands has now been cornered off since a dog was reportedly killed by algae poisoning.
However, Robert Smith said he has been contacting Christchurch City Council regularly for several years to ask it to frequently clean the public waterway in Arthur Adcock Memorial Reserve.
"Then it's left, and left, and left, and it becomes an absolute disgrace."
Smith's property backs onto the reserve.
A council spokesperson said city waterways are regularly cleaned and the dog's death is potentially from a bacterium growing in the pond.
Smith said the waterway was neglected for months this year and was only taken seriously once it reportedly caused the dog's death.
"What I find irritating is you can't get a straight answer from whoever is responsible for a maintenance programme to take place so people don't need to worry about it."
Stuff reported that tests showed potential toxic algae blooms at the pond.
The test was carried out after the dog, a five-year-old weimaraner cross named Skye, died from a suspected algae poisoning.
