Odour treatments

How to Stop Odour in a Dam

Follow the below steps for the greatest chance of eradicating bad smells from your dam for good

What causes odour in dams, lakes and ponds?

Anaerobic bacteria. Aka 'oxygen-hating' bacteria. These guys cause fowl and often toxic smells as part of their metabolic processes. They emit odours like methane and hydrogen sulphides. Most of these smells are actually being produced by the bacteria as they slowly eat away at the sludge and suspended organic material. These guys are just a lot slower at breaking this stuff down than the "good" (aerobic) bacteria. 

How do I get rid of odour?

The long-term way to get rid of odour is to create aerobic conditions unfavourable to anaerobic bacteria who emit the toxic smells. This means aeration, i.e. getting a aerator. Biostim can also help by introducing and supporting populations of "good" aerobic bacteria that can outcompete anaerobic bacteria. 

While you wait for conditions to change, you can use an odour nuetralising product like DAZZeL Eco Plus. Derived from plant leaves and herbs, DAZZeL Eco Plus works by binding with odour causing molecules and breaking them down to nothing, thus removing the smell. This means DAZZeL Eco Plus doesn’t mask smells, but rather neutralises them for good—making it an ideal long-lasting solution to odour reduction. 

Step 1

Increase aeration

Aeration means adding oxygen to your water. This provides ideal conditions for “good” aerobic bacteria to grow in number. More of these "good" guys means smaller populations of the "bad" guys, i.e. smell-causing bacteria.

How does aeration improve water quality

Step 2

Add Biostim probiotics

Biostim is a probiotic that feeds the “good” bacteria in your dam, growing their populations. Like with aeration, the more of these "good" guys there are, the less smell-causing bacteria there are. 

How does Biostim improve water quality?

expert Advice

Need help? I'm Scotty Tucker and I offer FREE advice

I'm happy to take a look at your dam [on Google Maps] and provide FREE advice on the right type of aerator, motor size and placement. I can also answer any questions you have on improving water quality.

"Since WQS installed the aerator, we've not had a single algae problem. In our smaller ponds that are too small for aerators we used Biostim pellets on their own and have noticed a huge reduction in algae.”

Andy Hart

Horticultural Curator—Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, Adelaide

“We had a nutrient-rich stormwater lake that was having continuous problems with algae. We were previously treating the nutrients with a liquid solution that would just end up getting flushed away with the outgoing water. Scott recommended we switch to Biostim pellets which were exactly what we needed.”

Giles Pickard

Environment Project Officer, City of Subiaco

“Visiting ducks and our pet geese were continuously fouling the dam. WQS recommended a number of systems to improve the water quality. We are very happy with our final choice, the windmill aeration system. This combined with the Biostim pellets and liquid are cleaning up the dirty dam. Everything WQS said would happen has happened!”

Greg Lewis

Canterbury, Victoria

“We had an urgent problem—our old irrigation system had blockages from weeds. Our dam was also riddled with black sludge. Scott recommended both aeration and biologicals and within six weeks the dam became so clear I could see to the bottom of it for the first time in years! I was chuffed that we could fix the issue without the use of chemicals.”

Michael Grant

Owner, Grant’s Citrus Farm
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