Please contact Jim Ruckheim (952) 474-0085

CH2M HILL Utilizes Solar-Powered Circulators to Improve Water Quality at Mitchell Lake

June 27, 2008

What are those strange devices in the Southwest Bay of Mitchell Lake? The devices are solar-powered water circulators. They are there as part of a water quality improvement project being led by the Riley, Purgatory, Bluff Creek Water Shed District in conjunction with CH2M HILL Engineering and SolarBee, Inc. The green design approach undertaken by CH2M HILL is being made possible by the circulators manufactured by SolarBee, Inc.

Designed to prevent and control harmful algae blooms (HABs), the SolarBee circulators will be configured to provide long-distance circulation of the epilimnion, or top layer of the lake. This is the habitat for harmful blue-green algae, which destroy the aesthetic value and recreational use of the lake and can cause public health concerns due to the toxins they release. Long-distance circulation serves to disrupt the environment of the blue-green algae, which thrives in warm, stagnant water. This allows good, edible algae to effectively compete for the limited food supply in the lake, restoring the health of the lake and clarity of the water.

SolarBee circulators come in various sizes. The largest, as installed on Mitchell Lake, can circulate up to 14.4 million gallons of water per day. Each machine runs 24 hours per day on a brushless, low-voltage motor and is entirely solar powered. In addition to preventing water stagnation and controlling blue-green algae blooms, the circulators improve the lake ecosystem and provide a healthy environment for fish, frogs, and other aquatic organisms. The circulators have a life expectancy of 25+ years.

For more information on the Mitchell Lake test project, contact David Austin of CH2MHill at 651-688-8100, or Jim Ruckheim of SolarBee, Inc., at 952-474-0085.

About SolarBee, Inc.:
SolarBee is a world leader in improving water quality, and has pioneered radial long-distance circulation (LDC) technology. Today SolarBee is using LDC to solve water quality problems in fresh water lakes, wastewater lagoons, storm water ponds, potable water storage tanks and reservoirs, and is reducing or even eliminating the need for toxic chemicals. SolarBee LDC equipment uses solar instead of grid power, resulting in significant energy savings. Over 1,400 SolarBee LDC units have been installed around the world, and with over 250 lakes cleaned up in the freshwater market alone, SolarBee is truly “Circulating the World’s Water”.