Frequently Asked Questions
According to the Maryland Aquaculture Coordinating Council … “The use of aeration can significantly improve water quality by increasing dissolved oxygen concentrations, mixing waters and de– stratifying deep ponds.” To learn more about the benefits of subsurface water aeration review our BRIEFS Notable Improvement in Water Quality – What a Pond Assessment Before and After PondHawk Installation Revealed
While a PondHawk prototype has been operational in various forms since 2009, the first commercially available PondHawk systems have been in the field since 2014. To date, they’re all working well and none have had to be replaced. PondHawk is made of powder–coated steel and is designed to withstand wind up to 120 mph. The solar panel is UL–listed and has a 25–year manufacturer power warranty. PondHawk’s structural integrity and rugged design remained operational through Hurricane Harvey in Houston, TX. The PondHawk enclosure keeps the equipment off the ground and away from high water.
Don’t miss our PondHawk “Doing Good” Calculator to see our current energy impacts from our fleet of installed systems. Click here
We understand that a large capital outlay can be difficult but holding off on proper maintenance is the single biggest driver of pond eutrophication. That’s why the PondHawk loan option is so beneficial. It allows you to experience PondHawk’s benefits immediately while paying for the cost over time.
Also keep in mind that if your pond is in a neighborhood and it has increased mosquitos and depleted stormwater capacity, the entire community is impacted. While algae and odor control, improved aesthetics, and mosquito management are worthy reasons alone, the real reason to employ subsurface aeration is the present value of the future cost of dredging™ . As the pond continues to age and algae blooms become more frequent, the design capacity of a stormwater facility becomes significantly impaired. This leads to dredging, an expenditure your HOA or golf course should try to push out as long as possible. As a point of reference, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates the cost of dredging at around $170,000 per acre. Think of PondHawk as preventive medicine.
Power. The number one thing pros overlook is power: manpower, electrical power, and access to power. Many pros forget that each “power” has an associated cost, and each aerator type affects these costs differently. Surface aerators like fountains are burdened with all three power costs. Fountains require power delivery costs to get the electricity near the pond, electrical costs to keep the fountain operating and manpower to annually remove, service and replace fountain components in the pond.
Electric powered subsurface aerators have lower manpower costs but are still burdened with power delivery and ongoing kilowatt-hour costs.
With PondHawk® Solar Powered Aerator, the pros gain all the benefits of subsurface aeration without the cost of power access, electricity, and manpower common to other aerator options.
For many superintendents, January is budget season. Recalling the pond headaches from the summer, winter is the time for superintendents to develop a plan for installing subsurface aeration to improve water quality. Subsurface water aeration delivers oxygen and circulation to the pond, reduces algae and odors, helps superintendents cut costs, all while improving the water that eventually nourishes the turf. Most superintendents understand the benefits of adding oxygen to the water but have found running power to the pond to be cost prohibitive. This is where solar aeration really delivers. By using solar powered subsurface aeration, the superintendent gains the benefits of improved water quality without the power delivering costs, ongoing electric charges, and the winter labor maintenance of other options.