Chemtech’s Products in Action: A Winkler Bible Camp Case Study

Before and after shots – deploying Microbe Lift at the manmade pond at Winkler Bible Camp.

Our customers use the Chemtech product range to achieve excellent results across a wide range of different applications. To help you better understand the capabilities of these products, we are compiling a collection of case studies demonstrating how products like Microbe Lift work when deployed in the real world.

Read on to discover more about the experience of our friends at Winkler Bible Camp in Manitoba, Canada, when they used Microbe Lift at their site.

The Client

Winkler Bible Camp has been operating at Burwalde – 7 miles from Winkler in the Canadian province of Manitoba – since 1949. Founded by. H. H. Redekop and G. D. Pries after the Second World War, the site was intended to provide a place where local kids of all denominations could learn more about their faith and experience a special time at their very own bible camp.

Following generous donations to the Winkler Bible Initiate (WBI), the camp was built in only three days, and the team welcomed 200 children to the opening session in July of 1949. In the decades that followed, the camp expanded, bringing in increasing numbers of children and developing the infrastructure and facilities needed to keep attendees safe and comfortable during the camp.

Today, Winkle Bible Camp continues to serve young Christians in the Winkler area and beyond. The camp has undergone significant changes over the last few decades – including operating Mission Point on Shoal Lake for 7 years between 2003 and 2010 – but has remained consistent in its vision and the experience it offers its attendees.

The Problem

The nearby pond is an important part of the Winkler Bible Camp site. As well as providing a pleasant backdrop for the camp, the pond is also the setting for activities such as swimming and canoeing. In other words, the camp depends upon a safe, clean environment in and around the pond area.

This water feature is manmade, covering an area of around three acres and extending to a maximum depth of 14 feet. In 2016, the camp’s team noticed significant and growing issues with the pond’s water – the water was becoming discolored, the lake bed was becoming increasingly contaminated with sludge, and there were serious concerns about pathogen levels in the water.

Ecological Dynamics, Inc., an organization with a long history of using our products and technologies for water enhancement and restoration, began conducting tests. Examining the water samples in the lab, the team discovered that the total coliform level was worryingly high, hitting 3260/cu/mg. The lab tests also identified poor water turbidity levels and found organic solids along the pond bed and the shoreline beach. When disturbed, these solids released an odor similar to that of rotting eggs.

Overall, the pond water was unsuitable for swimming and recreational activities, causing a significant problem for the camp.

The Solution

Ecological Dynamics contacted Chemtech in search of a viable solution – something that would quickly and effectively reduce the level of pathogen content in the water and return the pond to its original state of safety and usability. At the same time, the solution itself would need to be non-toxic, supporting ongoing recreational activities in and around the pond.

At Chemtech, we recognized that Microbe Lift would provide the results the camp and its team needed. Microbe Lift utilizes organic additives to alter the chemistry of the water naturally and safely. The microbes contained within the solution digest pathogens and other harmful constituents while also reducing Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), as well as completing the successful removal of Suspended Solids (SS). The Microbe Lift solution is applied over several weeks, and results should be noticeable even in this initial treatment period. The treatment can be continued for as long as is necessary, bringing the water chemistry back within a safe and sustainable set of parameters.

The Results

The first phase of the Microbe Lift treatment lasted thirty days, and the positive results began to show almost immediately. The rotten egg odors that had been reported began to disappear, and the level of biological pathogens also began to fall. At the end of this thirty-day period, testing found that biological pathogens had reduced to acceptable levels – below 10 for fecal coliforms and below 60 for total coliforms.

Along the shoreline, the level of solids was visibly reduced and was eventually eliminated. The entire pond ecosystem improved dramatically, including the benthic and littoral zones. Fewer suspended solids were present post-treatment, creating a safer and more pleasant environment for all.

Children could return to the pond once again, and the Winkler Bible Camp ran its normal program of activities, safe in the knowledge that all attendees could enjoy an engaging experience without putting their health at risk.

In September 2016, the management team at the camp reported that they were over the moon with the results that Microbe Lift had achieved at Burwalde, MB. They were so happy, in fact, that they requested more Microbe Lift treatments ahead of the 2017 season. Together with Chemtech, Winkler Bible Camp is providing great experiences – and impeccable health and safety – to its attendees to this day.

Explore Microbe Lift Options in Chemtech’s Range of Products

Microbe Lift remains one of the most popular Chmtech products – and with good reason. This is a highly effective and sustainable treatment, delivering high-quality results across a range of different applications: from industrial and municipal wastewater treatment to recreational spaces like the case study detailed above. Check out the different Microbe Lift options on our product pages and find the solution best suited to your specific purposes, or reach out to our team directly to discover more.