Deep Water Aeration

Due to the effects of thermal stratification, the lower part of a water body (hypolimnion) will become colder and have an inadequate supply of oxygen as the warmer upper layer (epilimnion) receives the most sunlight. As time goes by, the layers will become more and more stratified and, during the parts of the year when the two layers mix, there will be a lot of nutrients brought up and a significant drop in dissolved oxygen levels will result, which may lead to the death of aquatic life.

Deep-water aeration aims to eliminate stratification by increasing the number of mixes (or ‘turnovers’) from a few times a year to several times per day. A rising column of bubbles coming from a diffuser placed at the bottom of the catchment will not only release and distribute oxygen if they pop, they can also displace up to 10 times their own volume in water. With deep-water aeration technology, the water bodies aren’t given the chance to be able to stratify, allowing them to stay happy and healthy all throughout the year.

An advantage of deep-water aeration over surface aeration is a better distribution of oxygen throughout the depth of the body. It can be around 5 to 10 times more effective than surface aeration as it achieves total pond aeration from the bottom up to the top regardless of the depth of the water. It is also more energy efficient as the air merely needs to be released from the diffuser, then the column of bubbles will rise on its own.

We have a number of deep-water aeration solutions available to suit your needs that can even utilise solar energy to further increase energy efficiency.