OUR SOLUTIONS
In order to remediate the Puddingstone Reservoir, our team devised three methods that combined will remove contaminants from the lake. The implementation of aeration diffusers, a rehabilitation channel, and focused dredging will improve the health and quality of the reservoir overtime.
AERATION DIFFUSERS
(Image Courtesy of Google Earth)
The implementation of aeration diffusers will increase the overall dissolved oxygen in the water. Shown on the left are the proposed locations for the diffusers at the bottom of the Puddingstone Reservoir.
HOW IT WORKS
(Images Courtesy of Air Diffusion Systems)
The aeration diffusers work by pulling air from the surface into a central air compressor, and distributing it to a series of diffusers at the bottom of a lake. The diffusers disperse oxygen bubbles into the water, increasing the dissolved oxygen overtime. The image on the top right shows the series of tubing that connects the central air compressor to the diffusers at the bottom of a lake. The image on the bottom right shows a piece of the diffuser system, which assists in the dispersion of oxygen bubbles in the water. Overtime, the consistent use of these aerators will increase the dissolved oxygen in the reservoir, improving the overall health of the aquatic system.
REHABILITATION CHANNEL
Image courtesy Google Earth
Our next solution is to implement a rehabilitation channel next to the Puddingstone Reservoir. The main purpose of the channel is to remove contaminants from the water by introducing a coagulant to the system. The main contaminant being focused on for this remediation method is high organic matter. The addition of the coagulant polyaluminum chloride will remove high organic matter from the water. Overtime, the quality of water will improve with the addition of this system.
REHABILITATION CHANNEL DESIGN
The dimensions of the channel were determined based on several factors related to the process of contamination removal. Firstly, since the contaminants in the water are being removed through the addition of a coagulant, our team had to devise a low-impact way to mix the water with the coagulant within the channel. The solution was to rely on hydraulic mixing, which entails the use of a small waterfall at the inlet of the channel, and the addition of the coagulant at the base of the waterfall. To ensure that the hydraulic mixing is effective, and precipitate has enough time to form, the channel was designed to be 212 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 3 feet deep. The image below is a 3D rendering of the rehabilitation channel (not to scale). The right portion of the model represents the inlet of the channel, and the left portion represents the outlet.
RIVERBANK FILTRATION
(Image Courtesy of triangleassociates.com)
Riverbank Filtration involves remediating an area through the filtration of water and cleaning sediments. The sediment is remediated through focused dredging. This can have a high initial cost but a low operation and maintenance cost. The image shown to the right represents a typical dredging operation. Sediment is extracted from the site where contamination is present, and is removed.
FOCUSED DREDGING
(Images Courtesy of Google Earth)
The implementation of focused dredging will improve the quality of sediment, and health of the reservoir. By removing contaminants from our proposed locations, the water quality and health of aquatic life in the reservoir will improve. The top image shows the first location proposed for focused dredging, which is at the main inlet at the north east part of the reservoir, Live Oak Wash. The second proposed location for focused dredging is the swim beach, located on the west side of the reservoir.
COVID-19 REGULATION
All new and existing renovations are subject to current CDC COVID-19 guidelines. These include and are not limited to the social distancing of others, staying away from recreation areas when symptoms are present or have been within the last 14 days, and wearing a mask indoors if not fully vaccinated.
COVID-19 Safety
TO CONCLUDE
Why We Must Remediate the Puddingstone Reservoir
The implementation of these remediation methods will improve the overall health and quality of life in and around the Puddingstone Reservoir. It is imperative that the contaminants are removed to ensure the improved health of aquatic life in the lake, as well as humans that use the reservoir recreationally.