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September 13, 2011
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Joe Lochtefeld, owner of Diversified Pond Supplies (DPS) visited the New Bremen-New Knoxville Rotary Club to discuss the technology he is using to assist with the water quality issues in Grand Lake St. Marys and other local bodies of water. Joe began the business two years ago after leaving his engineering job and venturing out on his own. The idea behind DPS began when Joe was asked what he might be able to do to improve water quality in the Miami and Erie Canal running though New Bremen. Joe located a linear aeration “bubble tubing” product that had been patented by a Canadian company in 2002 and started DPS to become the exclusive distributor in the U.S. for the bubble tubing product.
The system is comprised of a solid rubber line (that acts as a ballast to hold the tubing to the bottom of the water body), and a rubber tube with pin holes every 1/2 half inch. The ballast rubber line contains no lead or other heavy metals formerly used to weigh down bubble tubing. The bubble tubing lies at the bottom of a pond or channel and is connected to an on-shore air compressor via an air line. The compressor forces air through the tiny holes and into the water via tiny bubbles. The aeration action improves the water quality, by improving dissolved oxygen levels in the water. This results in healthier fish and micro-organism populations in the water column. “Fountains and surface water features are attractive to look at,” said Lochtefeld. “But, a bottom aeration system is most effective. The water at the bottom is the most deprived of oxygen. The proper level of oxygen is what drives everything in a body of water.”
The importance of this technology to Grand Lake St. Marys cannot be understated. By increasing the dissolved oxygen in the water column, the micro-organisms (bugs) thrive and then consume the organic matter at the bottom of the lake, greatly reducing the amount of sediment on the lake bottom. The phosphorus that is feeding the algae is contained in the organic matter on the lake bottom. This aeration technology is proven to be highly effective in reducing the existence of harmful algae and other aquatic plants in enclosed water bodies. This is especially good news for the Miami and Erie Canal and Grand Lake St. Marys and the other lakes and ponds across the U.S. that struggle with harmful algae blooms. “Algae prefer stagnant water, and will seek places in the water column where it can get sun and nutrients,” said Lochtefeld.“ Aeration stirs the water column to eliminate stagnant pockets and eliminate the supply of nutrients to the algae.” Lochtefeld showed aerial photos of various installations in channels at Grand Lake St. Marys. “Our clients are seeing greatly improved dissolved oxygen readings and much better water quality,” said Lochtefeld.
The bubble tubing is produced in 100 and 200 foot lengths for easy installation and customizable applications. Ponds, canals and enclosed channels are ideal locations for a linear aeration system. “Two-hundred feet of bubble tubing will turn over one surface acre of water 4 and a half times a day,” said Lochtefeld. “The system is designed to operate in water up to six feet deep. With photosynthesis levels dropping at nighttime, the dissolved oxygen levels drop. So, the overnight hours are an ideal time to run an aeration system. We’ve developed soundproofing technology that keeps the compressors running very quietly.”