Fountains come in two versions: floating and aerating. Floating fountains are popular features in public spaces and are a favourite background for photographers. They’re super easy to install and maintain. There’s a wide selection of fountain nozzles to choose from and most manufacturers make them interchangeable giving you the ability to choose new patterns as you desire.  Light sets can also be fitted to floating fountains creating beautiful night time water features.

Ahh, pretty.

Floating fountains are driven by an impeller rather than a propeller. Which means that whilst they look great, they don’t provide much in the way of aeration. Consider the difference between how much water an outboard boat motor moves compared to a swimming pool pump. For both decoration and aeration, steer towards an aerating fountain as these use a combination of a propeller and nozzles to create a lovely ‘upside-down cone’ effect.

Another option is installing a sub surface aeration system combined with a floating fountain. You wont lose any decorative elements whilst still blasting your dam with powerful bubbles.

Serenity now

Aeration is simply adding oxygen to water. Oxygen is the basis for most of the natural, water cleansing activity within your dam. If you’re having problems with odour, sludge, algae, weed or dying fish, chances are you may not have enough oxygen in your water.

Why is aeration important?

Natural lakes automatically cleanse themselves during autumn and spring in line with changes in temperature. During this turnover, low-oxygen bottom waters mix with oxygen-rich surface waters, increasing the overall amount of oxygen. This increase kick starts water cleansing bacteria that process organic pollutants such as bird waste, runoff and leaves. Isn’t Mother Nature wonderful?

Conversely, man-made waterbodies have more organic pollutants and less natural flushing than their natural counterparts so their need for oxygen is greater. When water lacks the oxygen to sustain biological cleansing activity, sludge, odour, algae or aquatic weeds can result. Overall, aeration is the best thing you can add to your dam for mid and long term benefit.

Which system is best for my dam?

All forms of aeration systems need to be sized according to factors such as the volume, depth and temperature of water; salinity, atmospheric pressure, amount of fish (if any) as well as factors unique to the site, such as power supply, noise requirements, maintenance, security and aesthetics.

We consider ourselves the experts on aeration. We’ve also got a few happy clients who agree with this sentiment. No query is too big or too small, in fact we welcome them with open arms. Have a browse through our large range of dam aeration products and hit us with your best questions on 1300 283 387!

Stop! We understand that algae is unbearable but try not to jump straight to a solution without fully assessing the situation. There is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to algae control. Chemical algaecides work alright but in most cases algae is the symptom of an underlying problem so starting with a chemical solution can put you on a merry-go-round of frequent, larger doses as the algae returns and builds up a resistance. At Water Quality Solutions we investigate the cause of the algae first and foremost.

The discovery phase includes understanding what individual circumstances you face that will influence our recommendation. It doesn’t make sense to offer a chemical treatment to someone when their water overflows into a river full of platypus, nor does it make sense to suggest aeration to a client with a lakeside wedding reception in three days time! Below are some of our approaches to remove algae.

Some recommended options for algae control

Dam Aeration

Biological water treatments

Floating Wetlands

Nutrient Reduction

Algae requires temperature, food and sunlight to grow. Reducing algae’s food source is ultimately the best treatment method, tackling the underlying problem found in most dams – too much nutrients (eutrophication). The main nutrient sources for algae are nitrogen and phosphorus, decomposing leaves, animal waste and stormwater inputs. Nitrogen can be removed from water naturally by combining aeration and biological water treatments. This combo boosts beneficial bacteria that then converts nitrogen into a gas that escapes into the atmosphere. Beneficial bacteria can take care of phosphorus by locking it up in their cell structure making it unavailable for algae. This process is assisted by biological water treatments  and flocculants that can be sprayed over the surface causing the phosphorus to sink, making it less available to algae.

Sunlight reduction

Limiting the amount of sunlight can help with some types of algae control, especially filamentous species and some of the smaller types such as planktonic algae. Lake dyes turn water blue or black and reduce the amount of sunlight available to plants and algae. A treatment in late winter can be useful to prevent the first onslaught of algae as the water warms.

Ultrasonic

Many types of algae have an internal buoyancy chamber that allows them to float. These chambers can be broken with ultrasonic frequencies in a similar way that a crystal glass can be shattered by the right sound wave. With the buoyancy chamber gone, the algae sinks to the bottom.  Not all algae have buoyancy chambers and different algae is effected by different frequencies so it’s important to choose equipment with a wide range and use them in conjunction with nutrient reduction methods for best results.

Chemical water treatments

Copper is the most commonly used algaecide but copper sulphate has been replaced with safer chelated copper products that are less damaging to the aquatic environment. Copper sulphate should never be used in your dam as it is toxic to every living thing inside. Other chemical treatments to combat algae include Clearwater Flocculant that can bind and sink phosphorus removing it as a food for algae; Algae Lift, a peroxygen chemistry used to bleach the Chlorophyll-a found in algae, making it susceptible to attack from naturally occurring bacteria.  Water Quality Solutions consider chemical treatments a personal preference. If choosing a chemical path you must ensure they’re applied using appropriate equipment, by trained personnel or with professional advice. We’re here to guide you through the selection and usage process so you can make the most out of these chemicals whilst causing minimal negative impact on the environment.

Fish Stocking

Silver Perch are a native fish that are effective at grazing on filamentous algae. This however, is site specific because just like we prefer dessert over spinach, if more preferable food is available in your dam they’ll probably eat that first. Fish have tastes too, ya know! That said, why not add some friendly Perch with the chance of a little helping hand with algae control!

There are thousands of species of algae and it’s been on the planet a lot longer than we have (prehistoric!) so it’s excellent at evolving to suit the environment.  Controlling algae successfully over the long term isn’t just about the algae it’s about manipulating the environment it grows in. Water Quality Solutions will make sure you reach a decision that best suits your situation when battling the all powerful algae monster.

What are biological water treatments?

Biological Water Treatments increase the biological activity and effectiveness of beneficial microbes in your dam. These eco-loving organisms out-compete algae, weeds and odour-producing bacteria for available nutrients. They either digest the nutrients into elements such as water, hydrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide or take them up as part of their own cell structure. Either way, they steal the nutrients away from algae or aquatic weeds; the only kind of thieves you’ll want in your life!

Why do I need them?

These beneficial bacteria are actually naturally occurring, but in man-made waterbodies there’s too much organic waste for the indigenous bacteria to process. So the aim is to grow more beneficial bacteria and less algae/ aquatic weeds.

Biological water treatments can be either all purpose or highly specialised to target problems such as sludge reduction, odour control, ammonia reduction, clarifying water (flocculant) or even degrading rotting vegetation after an algaecide or herbicide application. Water Quality Solutions can help you better understand biological water treatments and ensure you are specified the best one(s) for your application.

If you’re concerned about ground leakage for a new dam or you want to fix a leaky dam once and for all, you need some liner, stat!

Water Quality Solutions are experienced with dam liner installation using a variety of materials such as EPDM, HDPE, LLDPE, PVC, polyethylene, GCL and Bitumen. Each has its own advantages and specific uses and we understand you have many choices in this field, so we ensure this process is made as easy possible.

Over time, man-made waterbodies accumulate more nutrients than they can process, resulting in an excessive amount of algae or aquatic weeds. Floating wetlands (or floating islands) are an effective tool for soaking up nutrients in aquatic systems making them unavailable for algae or aquatic weeds. Floating wetland panels float on the surface of the water and are planted with selective species of wetland plants. As the plants grow, their root system penetrates the water, taking nutrients in order to survive.

Floating treatment wetlands are a low-tech (in-vogue!) tool to strip nutrients from any waterbody, and in many cases are more cost effective than traditional wetlands; no earth moving construction and no additional land space required.

Floating wetlands can:

• Clarify water
• Absorb heavy metals
• Remove dissolved organic matter
• Reduce odour
• Suppress wave action and bank erosion
• Provide a habitat for fish, birds and other wildlife
• Reduce evaporation
• Dramatically improve your aesthetics!

The modular design of our floating wetland panels mean they’re easy to ship on standard sized shipping pellets and are easy to install with no cranes or other equipment other than a small boat or kayak required. Water Quality Solutions love floating wetlands and you will too!

Sometimes it’s best for one of our specialists to pay a visit to your dam. During an on-site consultation, our focus is on providing practical recommendations  communicated in easy to understand terms. We’ll discover your goals, study site specific circumstances, raise awareness and provide a range of solutions to assist with your choice of action.

Scotty Tuck assess’ the situation

When the job is large, the area is hard to access or you just don’t have the time to self install, our Australia-wide network of trusted waterbody installers have the tools and know-how to bring your aeration design from concept to reality. Water Quality Solutions are proud of our growing portfolio, take a look at some of our favourite gigs!

Managing and maintaining dams is our life blood; we love bringing our dingy out and getting our elbows dirty, rain, hail or shine! Spend more time swimming or fishing by getting one of our specialists to pop in regularly and keep your dam looking schmick! There are plenty of flexible options for our dam maintenance plans, call 1300 283 387 to ask us about them.

Solar Aeration for dams

A solar powered aerator will set you free from electricity companies. Power bills, service interruptions or the concern of mixing wiring and water are not a concern when going green. We stock all-in-one solar systems that are powerful enough for your needs and provide long-term affordability.

Water Quality Solutions have been working with solar aeration systems for many years and our range is steadily increasing to meet demand. Our ready to go solar aeration systems can be supplied with solar panels and racking or we just supply the solar aeration equipment for you to buy your panels locally.

Windmill Aeration for dams

Another eco-friendly way to aerate your dam is with a windmill aeration system. Windmill aerators are a superb option if you don’t have access to mains power or if you enjoy the beautification properties of owning a windmill…picture perfect! They are carefully designed to aerate dams by pumping air instead of water and only need around 3-5 mile per hour winds to operate.

Water Quality Solutions windmills come in a kit so they are easily transported and can be assembled by anyone with basic mechanical skills. We supply complete galvanized metal kits or partial kits for you to build from locally sourced timber if you are so inclined.