Anthony Dulio at American Underwater Services is an expert in how to remove algae that is out of control from HOA ponds. He has taken the time to put together this simple article explaining the complete process of How to Finally Remove Out-of-Control HOA Pond Algae. If you have any questions about removing pond algae from your HOA pond contact Anthony about his How to Finally Remove Out-of-Control HOA Pond Algae article.
Living next to a body of water, such as a pond or lake, can raise property values and offers a higher quality of life. Nothing is more relaxing than looking out your patio window and seeing a pond teeming with aquatic life.
However, all this beauty comes at a price. Most HOA ponds are man-made. They’re not fed by natural springs or other incoming water sources. This means that the Homeowner’s Association is responsible for fighting a never-ending battle against the natural processes that will try to reclaim the pond and turn it into dry land.
One of those processes is the formation of thick coats of dirty green or brown algae that can cover an entire pond and cause noxious odors to waft into the local community. In this blog post, we’re going to look at what HOA community managers can do to help maintain their ponds while lowering annual operating costs.
What is the HOA’s Responsibilities for Stormwater Retention Ponds?
While HOA’s are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of their stormwater retention ponds, all too often their duties are often neglected until it’s too late. When a brand-new community is built the ponds are crystal-clear, and everything is beautiful. Many HOA associations tend to overlook maintenance of the bodies of water because they feel that if it’s not broke – why mess with it?
As the months and years go by, the body of water becomes less and less clear, until one day a homeowner wakes up, looks out his window, and sees dirty green water that looks like a toxic waste dump.
The lack of maintenance over the years can cause a quick knee-jerk reaction by the HOA to look for the cheapest and fastest solution for the problem. Quite often this is in the form of pond dyes.
Is it safe to use Pond Dyes in your Stormwater Retention Ponds?
Most HOA communities in the U.S. are legally required to have stormwater retention ponds to protect against flooding and other natural disasters. Developers quickly realized they could get more money if they “dressed up” these stormwater retention ponds by adding shoreline reeds, grass, and other things that made the body of water look like a natural pond.
The trouble is that these man-made bodies of water will often turn an ugly shade of green or brown due to algae outbreaks. HOA community managers will often opt to use pond dye as a quick-fix solution to turn the color of the pond back to an aesthetically-pleasing shade of blue.
This non-toxic substance comes in the form of dry granules in a burlap bag. The bag is opened, and the granules are dumped into the water from the shoreline (sometimes from a boat on bigger bodies of water). Throughout the next few hours, the water is dyed a more aesthetically pleasing shade of blue or green.
The problem with this method is that it only addresses the symptoms, not the underlying cause of nuisance algae outbreaks. HOA’s will often stick the homeowners with the bill, which can run into the tens of thousands of dollars on an annual basis as harmful pesticides and chemicals are often added willy-nilly into the mix.
Dredging HOA Ponds
The best way to prevent nuisance algae outbreaks in HOA ponds is to have the body of water dredged at least once a year. Dredging is the process of physically and mechanically removing organic sediment and nutrients from the bottom of the pond.
This sludge-like material feeds the algae outbreaks. No matter how much pond dye or algae-killing chemicals are used, the algae will eventually return as the food source at the bottom of the body of water is still there.
Over the course of a year, leaves, dirt, and animal waste products find their way into the HOA pond. They tend to accumulate in the very deepest part of the body of water. At this depth, the beneficial bacteria which would usually break down the organic sediment can’t live nor thrive.
As the months go by, the entire deep end of the pond turns into a buffet of food for algae and other nuisance plants. By having a professional dredging company, such as American Underwater Services, dredge your HOA pond, you’ll be removing the cause of all the nuisance algae outbreaks – and saving tens of thousands of dollars by not having to buy pond dye or harmful algae control chemicals.
Nationwide Pond Dredging
At American Underwater Services, we have decades of experience helping HOA communities get a handle on their nuisance algae problems. We have our own specialized equipment that can handle any size pond or body of water. We’re based in Texas, but can travel anywhere in the country.
Give us a call at (866) 594-1272 or contact us via our website to learn how our pond dredging services can help beautify your HOA ponds, increase property values, and saving you and your homeowners money over the course of a year.
AUTHOR ANTHONY DI IULIOAnthony Di Iulio the founder, president and co-owner of American Underwater Services, Inc., started his business in 1999 with only three employees. Today this commercial diving company employs nearly 30 people and handles over 500 projects annually. Anthony moved to Fort Worth from Louisiana with his family in 1976. He worked summers during high school welding underwater for a marina on Benbrook Lake. Eventually he took scuba lessons after almost drowning on the job. Those lessons led him to training at a deep sea diving school in Houston, which included training on offshore oil rigs. Anthony spent several years in Louisiana working on offshore rigs and on inland jobs at power plants and dams before starting American Underwater Services, Inc.
