Controlling Silt and Aerating a Pond
The installation of Bubble Tubing® led directly to improved water quality and amenity value, a significant cost saving and a reduction in carbon footprint for Holywell Park Conference centre.
Holywell Park is a dedicated conference, meeting and events venue located at Loughborough University.
The centre offers large flexible spaces and hosts over 300 events a year. Inspirational conferences are enhanced by being in an inspirational setting. The grounds of Holywell Park are beautifully kept and the large pond in front of the venue provides an important first impression for the 14,000 delegates visiting the centre annually.
frog environmental were engaged by Loughborough University to examine the water quality and health of the pond at Holywell Park and develop a solution to improve the amenity value of the pond, reducing sediment, algal blooms and odours.
Low Dissolved Oxygen and High Nutrients
Following site investigation, the pond was deemed to be suffering from low dissolved oxygen levels and high nutrients, both of which were detracting from amenity value of the water body.
Increased Oxygen in the Water Column
Frog Environmental recommended a series of silt control measures upstream as well as exchanging the surface aerating fountains with two, 15 metre lengths of Bubble Tubing® that would increase oxygen transfer throughout the water column.
Bubble Tubing® is a self-weighted linear diffuser that rests on the bottom of the pond. A small oil free compressor pushes air through the Bubble Tubing® and millions of micro-bubbles are released that rise all the way through the water column to the surface. The huge surface area leads to high oxygen exchange between the air bubbles and the water.
On-Site Assistance
Frog Environmental worked with Loughborough University to design and deliver the Bubble Tubing® installation using a small works team, although many Bubble Tubing® projects are self-installed by our customers with turn-key solutions built off site and delivered directly to pond owners.
A small works team installed the Bubble Tubing in one day
Creating Oxygen Rich Water To Reduce Odour and Silt
An oxygen-rich water column allows for the development of aerobic bacteria that plays a key role in breaking down organic matter such as leaf litter and eliminating the odour as well as reducing the need for de-silting.
Creating an aerobic environment at the sediment water interface traps Phosphorus within the sediment and supports nitrogen reducing processes thereby reducing the availability of nutrients that may contribute to algal growth. This increases water clarity and aesthetics.
Bubble Tubing® also circulates water from top to bottom, removing any stratified layers as well as ensuring that algal cells lurking near the surface to collect much needed sunlight to grow and multiply are constantly disrupted. A well-mixed water body is generally a healthier water body.
Low Carbon Solution
The installation of Bubble Tubing® at Holywell Park Conference Centre also led directly to a significant saving and reduction in Carbon footprint.
Estimated savings are almost 4 tonnes of carbon and £1550.00 per operational season. The return on investment for the project is a very reasonable 4 years.
| Aeration system | Wattage (W) | Energy per 24h day (kWh) | Number of days in operation per year (Days) | Energy use per year (kWh) | Cost of energy per year* | CO2e emissions (Tonnes of CO2e)* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fountain System | 4000* | 96.00 | 243 | 23,328 | £6,532 | 4.78 |
| Bubble Tubing® | 1584 | 38.02 | 243 | 9,238 | £2,587 | 1.89 |
| Savings made using Bubble Tubing® | 2416 | 57.98 | 14,090 | £3,945 | 2.89 | |
| *Notes – Cost of energy taken as average of £0.28 per kWh, Nov 2023. CO2 emissions of 0.20496 per kWh of energy via 2023 government emission factors. Emissions are in kg CO2, converted to Tonnes. Conservatively estimated at 2,000 Watts per fountain | ||||||
Oil-free, low-maintenance compressors are used to push compressed air into the Bubble Tubing®. As with all fixed assets, maintenance is an important consideration. Maintenance requirements are very low and can be serviced by Frog Environmental or simply incorporated into a maintenance contract.
frog environmental provide turnkey Bubble Tubing® aeration packages for ponds & lakes and fisheries.
For more information on or to purchase Bubble Tubing® contact us.
Related article: bottom aeration vs surface aeration