Over the years it has been noted because of the amount of lakes being used for water features, irrigation and for drinking purposes, the treatment of these lakes has been neglected.
This has caused a wide range of problems from algae to stagnant bodies of water which can turn into diseases such as botchilism.
We have seen and treated lakes which have had large amounts of fish and wildlife kills due to disease or lack of oxygen in the water.
Allpumps has invested a lot of time in researching the various problems that can arise with untreated water and believe that there is a solution that is safe for the wildlife and the environment.
Chemically treating water is a very good way to maintain lakes against algae Allpumps have a product that they use which is very safe for the environment and have experienced some amazing results, Allpumps have a small boat with a spray boom on the back so any body of water gets full coverage.
“Lagoon” Bacteria for the Control of Algae
Allpumps and QED Occtech Services Pty Ltd have been collaborating to provide unique and effective algae control solutions for waterways in the Mandurah area.
In particular two products have been introduced, which are:
- Sanosil: for the oxidation of algae already present in waterway, and
- Lagoon: a bacteriological product that is designed to control the level of latent nutrients in ponds to stop algae at its source, its food!
Background:
Lagoon is a fully imported product from the United Kingdom that have been assessed and approved by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS). The product is a centrifuge dried bacteria and substrate that targets nutrients that have settled into the silt of ponds, water features and lakes.
Lagoon works by metabolising the polluting component of the lake or surface water. The product settles into the silt layer of the pond and colonises. The bacteria are selected such that they target nutrients such as nitrogen as a source of food.
Phosphorous is also locked up in the product substrate such that it is not available to algae. The product achieves degradation of organic matter such as hydrocarbons, phenols, cresols, animal waste and the uptake of metal ions from water and silt.
Nutrient locked in silt is released during the hot summer months when rising temperatures and lower oxygen levels see the layer go anaerobic. This phenomenon is controlled by Lagoon by keeping the silt layer aerobic during the summer months, which has the added benefit of controlling botulism outbreaks.
Pioneer Lake Park – Gosnells
Application:
Lagoon is applied at a rate of 200grams per m2 of pond surface area. The product is in dry form and would be dosed into the pond by the trained technicians of Allpumps. It is a very safe product although the substrate can be quite dusty so the work will be performed with the following personal protection equipment (PPE):
- Long sleeve shirt
- Eye ware
- Dust mask
- Hat.
The benefits of applying Lagoon to the waterways in the Shire of Mandurah, includes:
- Sustainable control of pond water quality
- Nitrate and phosphate control
- Sludge reduction
- Reduction in suspended solids
- Raised dissolved oxygen levels
- Botulism suppression
- Suppression of rotten egg gas smell.
Monitoring of Pond after Treatment:
The performance of the product after the initial dosing can be monitored via a series of on site tests.
These tests would be performed by Allpumps under the guidance of QED Occtech Services. The testing concentrates on the silt in the pond and monitors:
- Temperature
- pH
- Conductivity
- TDS
- Orp Mv
QED Occtech has defined a set of values for each of these variable above that are key performance indicators of the health of the pond system. A report on the raw data would be presented at the end of the dosing period.
QED Occtech Technician Undertaking Water Sampling
Using Lagoon and Sanosil
These two products although complimentary in their action (algaecide) should be used separately. Sanosil is a strong oxidant that eliminates algae but would also destroy any good bacteria as well. Lagoon also should not be used in ponds where heavy algae are already present.
The reason for this is that algae have a large oxygen demand on the water body. The introduction of large quantities of bacteria would place an increased demand on oxygen and anaerobic conditions could occur.
It is recommended that Sanosil always be used initially to clear pond of algae and then at least 2 weeks after treatment the Lagoon could be applied.
Sanosil for Algae Control.
A New Generation of Algaecide Products
Background:
During late 2007 and 2008 Allpumps and Perth based companies QED Occtech collaborated to deliver a new generation of products and services for the control of algae in urban waterways.
The City of Mandurah has been working with Allpumps to provide solutions for maintaining the quality of water in ponds, water features and lakes within the City’s jurisdiction. One of the major concerns for the Council is algae control.
The urban environment has put extreme pressure on the quality of water in ponds and water features for the following reasons:
- Excess nutrient build up due to over fertilising grassed areas,
- Excess nutrient build up from ducks and water birds,
- Excess nutrient build up from people feeding ducks or leaving rubbish at parks.
- Insufficient water flow making ponds stagnant,
- Shallow water features leading to increased temperatures over summer period,
- Insufficient regulations & long term funding arrangements when land developers install water features and simply abandon them after a time.
1. Typical Urban Pond located in Perth
A New Solution to an Old Problem:
Algae problems are certainly not new to WA. Many of the methods used to eliminate the algae are antiquated and harmful to the environment they are treating. Some of these solutions include:
- Copper based algaecides: these products may be effective at killing algae but the residual copper remains in your water way. After several years of dosing the levels of copper can become toxic aquatic organisms.
- Herbicides: algae are killed by herbicides in the same way other aquatic plant are. The development of reeds and other plant life is important for the uptake of excess nutrients in urban waterways. Herbicides simply cannot selectively kill so all plant life that is sprayed will be eliminated. Herbicides are also complex chemical compounds that may take a very long time to break down and completely disappear.
Allpumps in conjunction with QED Occtech is offering a better alternative to an old problem. Sanosil is a Swiss based product that is patented in 188 countries around the World.
Sanosil is hydrogen peroxide that has been stabilised by a patented formula to give the product increased oxidative properties as well as making it more stable.
The result is an environmentally friendly product that can eliminate algae without harmful residues Sanosil Super is a fast acting algaecide that has been developed in Switzerland.
Unlike copper based algaecides Sanosil leaves no harmful residues. Sanosil is a strong oxidant that completely eliminates algae from the aquatic environment.
The product is stabilized hydrogen peroxide that reverts back to oxygen and water once the oxidization process has taken place.
Samuel Renfrey Reserve – Mandurah:
Allpumps decided that the best way demonstrate the effectiveness of Sanosil was to undertake a free trial at one of the City’s most troublesome lakes at Samuel Renfrey Reserve. The lake showed all the signs of a stressed waterway, including:
- Free floating algae
- Cloudy water
- Malodour
- Dead birds (possibly as a result of botulism)
The pictures below were taken prior to treatment of the pond:
Sanosil is applied at a rate of 35 mg/l, which is a level that is non-toxic to aquatic life.
The product works extremely quickly to penetrate the cell walls of the algae to disrupt it’s structure. Soon after spraying the algae completely dissipated.
The photos below were taken 2 weeks after the initial spraying.
 
The pictures above clearly shop that the water quality has greatly improved. No free floating algae are present and the clarity of the water is significantly better.
One of the services offered by Allpumps is water testing to analytically verify that the quality of water is improved.
Table 1: Results from Samuel Renfrey Park
|
22/01/2008 |
6/02/2008 |
25/02/2008 |
20/03/2008 |
Conductivity (uS) |
900 |
920 |
842 |
976 |
pH |
6.88 |
8.11 |
7.94 |
7.37 |
Dissolve Oxygen (mg/l) |
1.7 |
2.3 |
2.1 |
2.3 |
ORP (mV) |
250 |
284 |
250 |
273 |
The results are a “key performance indicator” of the condition of the pond. The results above indicate a healthy waterway. The results dated the 22nd January were taken prior to treatment. The main points to take from the results above are:
- Dissolved Oxygen 1.7 mg/l – 2.3 mg/l: one of the main benefits of Sanosil is that the oxidation process introduces high levels of oxygen to the water. This can be evidenced by the increase in DO. This oxygen is more available for fish and plant life. The higher DO also has a positive impact on the odour of the lake. Malodours such as “rotten egg gas” are suppressed by an aerobic environment.
- ORP: our experience has told us that increased ORP levels indicate that the pond conditions remains healthy. When a decrease in ORP odours increase and phosphorous that is otherwise not available for algae is suddenly released into the water column.
Advantages of Using Sanosil:
Some of the features and benefits of Sanosil are:
- Stabilized hydrogen peroxide.
- Oxidizes algae quickly.
- Improves water quality by adding oxygen.
- Breaks down in water to H20 and O.
- Non toxic to fish when dosed in accordance with instructions.
- Swiss formula
- Effective against all forms of algae.
- Approved by WA Ag Dept.
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