A Pond IS NOT a Lake!

Get the Right Tool for the Job!

Fact: Most aeration technologies were designed for use in backyard ponds. Now that aeration (mostly thanks to our efforts at Lake Savers) is gaining traction as a lake restoration tool there are many companies attempting to jump on the band-wagon.

Why should you care? Because oxygenating a large lake to revive the ecosystem is very different from aerating a backyard pond. These differences will show up both in performance over time and cost of the system.

Pond Aeration Systems

Pond aeration system are typically characterized by rubber membrane diffusers, coiled “soaker hose” (yes, just like garden “soaker hose”); small, low horsepower compressors; and “kit” packaging.  Kit packaging means that the systems are configured in standardized “kits”. You simply add more “kits” the larger the lake.

Rubber membrane and “soaker hose” diffuser technologies have two “advantages”, they are cheap and they require less cleaning. But, are they fit for use in large lake applications? Multiple, peer-reviewed studies show that membrane diffusers lose 30% efficiency in 12 to 18 months because they stretch and deform.

http://nepis.epa.gov/Adobe/PDF/300035DI.PDF

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16274078

This may be fine if you are just trying to keep fish healthy in a back-yard pond. Not so fine when you are trying to restore the oxygen balance in large lake and keep it in balance for years to come.

Lake Aeration Systems: Lake Bottom Aeration Technology

Lake Savers Lake Bottom Aeration technology was developed specifically for large-lake restoration. EVERY project is custom-designed to fit the unique requirements of your lake.  We don’t use a cookie-cutter approach of just taking a “kit system” developed for 5 acres and multiply it by 20 for a 100 acre lake.

We utilize a nearly unlimited range of compressor technologies and configurations to deliver a customized design. This increases efficiency, effectiveness and longevity.

Our diffusers are a proprietary Micro-Porous Ceramic. They never lose efficiency.  They do require more maintenance and cleaning. But we don’t mind doing the work! We are in the business of saving lakes NOT selling aeration equipment and walking away.

Here is an example of how our technology stacks up against a well-known aeration equipment provider:

click to enlarge

These competing designs were developed for a Sealed Public Bid Project with all designs needing to meet the same oxygen transfer rate.  While their components may be cheaper, their system is not for a project this size.  Efficiency makes all the difference!!

Results and Experience Matter

Talk is cheap, results matter. If you are looking at aeration technologies for anything larger than a backyard pond, make sure you are working with a company that has a track record on large projects.

Here are some questions to ask:

• Have they done lakes larger than 100 acres before?
• Do they have multiple years of water quality data and performance reports?
• Were those reports done “in-house” or by qualified Independent,Third Party Firms? … BIG DIFFERENCE.
• Do they offer performance contracting on thier systems?

We have the answers and the experience and the independent scientific reports to back our technology. Visit our Success Stories page to see our technology in action.

If you want to aerate a pond, you have many choices. If you are looking to restore a lake, there is only one choice, Lake Savers Lake Bottom Aeration Technology.

Photo credit: bernat… / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND