A water supply system serving 50,000 people in a Michigan city had to shut down due to pump failure by zebra mussels in its intake system. Beaches in infested areas may be impacted by the washing up of sharp shells in shallow areas, which can cut bathers and litter beaches. Decomposition of mussels can also create obnoxious odors. Growth of larval mussels drawn into a boat's engine cooling water intake may occlude the cooling system, leading to overheating and possible damage to the engine. If shells are drawn into the engine, abrasion of cooling system parts, especially impellers, could result.
Marker buoys can sink under the weight of mussel encrustation.
Docks can be destabilized or sunk by mussel colonization. Zebra mussels can tolerate fairly wide ranges of environmental conditions. They prefer water temperatures between 68 and 77 degrees F and water currents 0.15 to 0.5 meters per second for proper growth. The mussels prefer spawning in water temperatures in the mid 50's oF. While normally a freshwater species, the zebra mussel can adapt to and inhabit brackish waters ranging from 0.2 to 2.5 parts per thousand total salinity in estuarine locations. Zebra mussels prefer lakes that are not overly enriched but which have a higher calcium content.