Fountains and Aeration

Having a fountain in your pond is a great way to add tranquility to your home. To sit out on the deck and see a beautiful fountain display as well as hear the relaxing sound of water; what more could you ask for?  Many people are drawn to a fountain’s show-stopping appeal, but will it aerate a pond as well?  The answer to this really depends on a couple factors: the pond’s depth and the type of fountain pattern the fountain is using.

Fountains can be great aerators when the pond is less than 6′ of depth.  A fountain with a submerged pump will draw water from the oxygen-poor bottom of the pond and return the water to the top. The returning spray from the fountain will contain oxygen pulled from the air and return that aerated spray back to the pond’s surface. 

 

The spray pattern of a fountain makes a huge

difference in how much aeration is produced.

Usually the more decorative the spray pattern,

the less likely it is to aerate your pond pro-

perly. This is because more energy is spent

on creating the decorative pattern than there

is on moving the water. The best spray pattern

to use for a fountain is a “V” patterned

fountain like the picture to the right..

 

If your pond is deeper than 6′ of depth, then

the best method of aeration would be an

aeration system diffuser.   This system will

pump air down to the bottom of the pond,

and the resulting column of rising bubbles

lifts and aerates the water. By starting from

the bottom,up, this will ensure that the whole

body of water is properly circulated as well

as aerated.

                                                                                           reprinted from The Pond Guy

Enclosed are proposed By-Laws for GPPS.  These

By-Laws will be voted on at the June meeting. 

If you have any suggested changes,

please email Nancy Magee at

nnmagee@hotmail.com