Every contaminated lake is worth saving, every clean lake is worth protecting. It doesn't have to be your usual tourist spot to deserve attention because some of these lakes support a variety of wildlife like birds, tortoises and other fauna-all of which help maintain the balance of nature. One such place is Tomato Lake in the City of Belmont, Western Australia.
The lake, a seven-hectare wetland protected by the Department of Environment and Conservation's Environmental Protection Policy, is home to the blue-billed duck, long-neck tortoises and other wildlife.
People who want to feel closer to nature and get away from the city go to the park. There, they can spend quality time with their family, enjoy barbecue with friends or give oneself a break from the pressure of city-living.
But even sanctuaries like these, protected as they are, cannot be enjoyed without some sort of care. If left unmanaged, problems can still occur. One of the most common problems of lake waters is algal blooms. Algal bloom is the proliferation of algae in the water due to excess nutrients or warm weather. It's not just smelly or unsightly-it can also produce toxins which can affect the health of animals and humans.
To stop further proliferation of algae and improve the quality of water, the City of Belmont installed two water aerators at Tomato Lake. Do these water aerators really work? How does this lake water management mechanism operate?
Water Aeration Through AirDucks
When air is introduced into the lake, the oxygen-content in the air is transferred into water, making it fit for fish and other aquatic organisms to live in. Natural aeration (strong breeze that can make the surface of the water move) can happen. However, this would not be sufficient to aerate the bottom of the water.
In Tomato Lake, two aerators were installed, each aerator consisting of three 4-kilowatt AirDuck nozzles with airlines. These lines are connected to a pump that injects as much as 3600 litres of air into the bottom of the lake.
And although it operates for 12 hours a day, this new technology does not require a high maintenance nor does it result to high power costs.
Making It Happen
Although aeration is not the cure-all for every water-related issue, it does provide a host of benefits when utilized. Some of these include the reduction of unpleasant odour, proliferation of blue-green algae and excess nutrients, the improvement of water clarity and generally, the improvement of the quality of lake waters.
Using such a technology may not have a big impact in helping the environment cope up with humanities mess as a whole, but it is a concrete step towards that direction, especially when done collectively.
Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert
