Algae Control Review For 2009

As the year comes to a close, it’s interesting to look back at 2009 and consider some of the breakthroughs that have happened this year in regards to pond algae control.

Most notably ultrasound technology gained ground in pond treatments as well as a growth in interest for industrial applications.

A few years ago when ultrasonic tools were introduced in the U.S. a lot of people thought it might be a good idea but were wary of it’s performance. One can’t really blame them since there are a lot of so called “ultrasound” devices that are used for everything from mole control to fish lures and a lot of these simply don’t work as promised.

Ultrasonic algae control is different in the sense that the units being used are well researched and for many algae types, with a particular focus on blue green algae, the systems are showing great promise. KLM Solutions made a change to a new line of ultrasonic devices this year and could not be more pleased with the increased performance and durability.

We found better results from an increase in the active frequency range and some algae which had been difficult to control were now being reduced dramatically.

Industry also found the systems to be useful for waste water treatment, cooling towers, and water holding tanks.

So we expect to see continued growth in 2010 in all of these areas and further improvements will be made to the technology.

One of the potential reasons for alternative control options for algae may be the banning of use of algaecides in several urban areas around the U.S. . The city of Naples Florida for example found high levels of copper in bay area waters, which was believed to come from heavy use of chemical algaecides in the community.

Some treatment companies became worried about this ban of course since this treatment method is their main tool for algae control.

There’s no question it’s great for the treatment companies. Something like Cutrine is easy to apply, and it works quickly to clear the water of algae, but as we’ve commented repeatedly on this site, algaecides come with a heavy price. So it’s good to see some communities are waking up and taking notice of this risk.

As we move into 2010 and beyond, we expect environmentally friendly and supportive methods to continue to gain momentum in algae control. Awareness is growing regarding the risks associated with long term chemical usage and the fact that this type of treatment really only addresses a symptom of a problem, and does not directly target the real issue of high nutrient loads in the water.

We’ll be announcing some new additions to our line in the coming year. Most notable will be a complete overhaul of our line of aeration systems along with some additional tools for treating algae in smaller ponds.