Water Quality Analysis

Water quality monitoring of your pond is a very important component of pond management and is always worth the investment. The costs are small in comparison to the damage which can be caused by using unsuitable water. Many parameters can be measured to determine the condition of your pond or lake: pH, alkalinity, hardness, conductivity, secchi depth, temperature/dissolved oxygen profile, chlorophyll a, zoo-plankton, phyto-plankton and total phosphorus. A select few analyses can be done to determine the general condition of your waterbody or a more in depth analysis may be carried out to give a better assessment of the trophic state of your waterbody.

More than 10mg/l nitrates and 0,1mg/l phosphates can encourage algae growth!

At a minimum, pond owners should plan to analyze water quality of their pond in the spring and again in August. There are literally thousands of chemical components or biological characteristics that can be monitored in your pond. A basic water quality monitoring program will include the following components:

You can also analyze the water yourself; however, the standard water analysis products offered on the market do not always reveal all of the factors, which are important for establishing the quality of the water.