"It'll clear up any pond in 5 weeks or less. The water becomes crystal clear," says Basil J. Leonard about his wind-powered agitator for both fresh and waste water ponds.
An underwater propeller creates a swirling vortex that can be several hundred feet in diameter and draw water from as deep as 33 ft. By turning the water over and exposing it to the ultra-violet rays of the sun, solids, chemicals, and algae are broken down and reduced or eliminated. Eventually all the water in the pond or lagoon rises to the surface, absorbing oxygen just like water does naturally in a flowing river. In manure lagoons, it keeps odors down and helps keeps manure liquified.
During winter, the "Pond Mill" keeps ice open, allowing hydrogen sulphide and other gases to be vented off, further reducing odors. The Pond Mill cannot be frozen into place since it has sealed bearings at the bottom of the mast and an enclosed drive shaft. "Even if, in a storm or cold spell, water freezes right up to the driveshaft, the underwater propeller will continue to turn, bringing up warm water to melt the surface ice," says Leonard.
The Pond Mill, invented and manufactured in Western Saskatchewan, consists of an 8-bladed 5-ft. dia. windmill mounted on a 12-ft. mast (a 7 ft. mast is optional for flat country). The mast is supported by 6 tubular steel legs that fasten to a flotation ring made out of 6 high-density polyethylene pontoons. The driveshaft runs Underwater to a 4-bladed, 19-in. dia. impeller that can be positioned anywhere from just below the surface to 26 in. deep, depending on how deep the pond is and the strength of winds in the area. The deeper it's set, the harder it is to turn. All metal surfaces are painted with enamel-based paint.
Leonard says the Pond Mill has been on the market several years and has been refined to the point where it operates trouble-free with almost no maintenance. "It's a high-quality product. We have units in use on stock ponds, manure lagoons, urban sewage lagoons, drinking water reservoirs, industrial waste water lagoons and on recreational ponds. There's no other product on the market that will provide the performance of this aerator with no outside power source."