Water Quality Improvements, and Turbidity Treatments
Turbidity is the measure of suspended particles in water, is a common sign of stormwater mismanagement. This can lead to pollution of the local waterways, and can be harmful to the surrounding environment.
Under the Clean Water Act, Florida is required to test its water-quality standards across the state every three years. As part of this assessment, stormwater management and turbidity are central concerns for the above mentioned reasons.
In construction zones that are flooded or contaminated, excessive turbidity can turn into a vicious cycle. For example, when excessive stormwater runoff floods a stream with sediment, it blocks out sunlight and leads to a rapid loss of plant and fish life.
SLM uses chemicals called flocculants which cause the sediment particles to clump together and settle out to the bottom of the body of water. Aluminum Sulfate is one very common example, when applied to a body of water, agitation is needed, which is why we apply the chemical with a boat. After agitation the Alum forms a cloud in the water and will slowly drop to the bottom. With Aluminum Sulfate being a very common flocculant in our field, there are various other flocculants which may have more efficacy for your turbidity problems. For example, water chemistry plays a big role in how chemicals react with water. The water chemistry of the body of water to be treated should be tested prior to performing a treatment so as not to be applying a chemical which may not yield a result. SLM offers water chemistry analysis prior to any turbidity treatment of a body of water.
