No-one wants a muddy dam but unfortunately, it sometimes just happens. One of the simplest ways to deal with this issue, is to floc your water.
Floccing is a delicate process but it can be greatly beneficial to your water body when dealing with murky colouring and restless particles. Usually a very small concentration of the stock solution gives us a great result however the exact required application rates of stock solution will vary. To achieve desired results, it is highly recommended that a sample test be completed prior to full flocking.
Step 1
Mix up one litre of Stock Solutions.
As per label, stock solution = 1 part flocculant to 10 parts water – for the purpose of this test, you will want 100ml of flocculant to 900ml fresh water.
Step 2
Gather some water samples from your dam in a clear glass jug or container. It is best if you can do this from multiple points within your water body to ensure a true reading of conditions.
Step 3
Split the water you have collected into six independent 1L samples. Set one of these aside as your control (no treatment). In your other containers apply the stock solution at concentration levels of 0.5ml, 1ml, 2ml, 3ml and 4ml, then mix your water sample vigorously for approximately 45 seconds.
Step 4
Watch for a reaction. After a few seconds, you should see the flocculant begin binding particles and clumping them together. If you don’t, leave the samples to settle for two days and do not disturb them.
Step 5
Once you have determined which test got the best result, you can multiply this out to have a rough idea of how much flocculant product you will require to treat your water body.
Important Things To Remember
- Approximately 20L of the product usually treats 1 million litres of total water volume.
- If your sample testing does not produce a noticeable change in clarity, there are alternative flocculant treatments that can be tested.
- It is crucial to treatment that it is not raining on the day of application, the day prior or the day following.
Example A: Sample Test
Example B: Application of Results
Best Sample Test Result: 3ml Stock Solution application.
Dam Volume: 2.5Ml (million litres)*
Calculations: In this instance, 0.00003L of Flocculant treats 1L of dam water. Multiply this out to fit your overall volume: Flocculant Volume 0.00003(L) x Dam Volume 2,500,000(L) = 75L of Raw Flocculant Product required to treat a water volume of 2.5Ml
*To recreate these calculations for your own usage, you will first need to work out your estimated water volume. This can be done by measuring LxWxD.
Note: that this process serves as a guideline only.
If you under-floc you won’t see a great result and if you over-floc the same applies. Have a play with a few combinations and be sure to re-test once you have found a good treatment rate.
The goal of treating samples of your water first is to determine whether the product will be effective on your water and to get a rough idea of what quantity you will require.
You may wish to purchase more of the flocculant product than you believe you will require. This is a good idea for a few reasons:
- Flocculant is not a single application fix to water clarity issues. Events such as strong rain or mixing of the water can cause particles to re-suspend. In this instance, it is recommended that treatment be done again.
- Your testing can generate a different result than when you actually apply the treatment to the waterbody. Having extra product on hand on the day of application can help prevent loss of time and product.
The product is available in 20L containers and as 2x10L containers for shipping purposes.Please get in touch if you would like purchase flocculant or discuss the health of your dam.