For almost 20 years, my company has been treating waste water. We have treated large waste-water treatment plants all the way down to small pumping stations. Many people ask me “why does my pond smell so bad during the summer months.” There are a few contributors to that horrible pond odor that many of us have witnessed.
Think of your pond as a large biological ecosystem. You have water, plant life, possibly fish and other aquatic creatures, and microorganisms. At the bottom of the pond you have a sludge layer. Typically, that is the main source of your odor problem. Different types of surface algae can also contribute to foul odors.
In order to balance your biological ecosystem (your pond) you have a couple of options:
1. Bacteria
Introduce a specific blend of bacteria that can reduce and remove the causes of the odor. A proper blend of bacteria (like our Pond Clear product) will do two things.
a) Remove the key factors of algae. This is called “denitrification.” Ponds tend to have high number of nitrogen and phosphorous. Nitrogen and phosphorous are food sources for algae and other vegetative growth. Special bacteria designed to digest nitrogen/phosphorous will fight for that food source. This makes it very difficult for unwanted organic matter to grow.
b) Break down the sludge. Bacteria will settle at the bottom of the pond into the sludge layer. Digesting the sludge layer will assist in reducing odors.
Keeping your pond biologically balanced with natural bacteria doesn’t require electricity, cleaning filters every day, ugly aeration systems or chemicals. This will help in keeping it clear and odor free.
2. Aeration System
You could install an aeration system. Or depending on the size of your pond, a water feature like a waterfall. Aeration systems can be expensive, require electricity run into the pond and regular (often daily) filter cleaning. While this method can reduce the algae, it often leaves the sludge rotting at the bottom. It can even increase the smell with particularly slimy ponds.
3. Chemicals
There are chemicals on the market that can reduce the nitrogen, phosphorous and even break down some components of the sludge layer. We often recommend against this option because of the potential harmful effects some chemicals have on the sensitive environment like birds and frogs and fish, that may have caused you to love your pond in the first place.
If you’re interested in a customized blend of bacteria for your pond, that is easy to use, requires no electricity, comes with no gross filters to clean and doesn’t harm the environment, contact us right away!