Six Sub-Triton Aspirators from water aeration specialist Otterbine are keeping a large canal water feature on a Greater London housing development clean and clear.

In the summer of 2011, residents at Enfield Island Village started to report an alarming number of fish deaths and deterioration in the water quality. That’s when Amber Management, the managing agent on behalf of Enfield Island Village Trust for the estate and the canal, called in pond specialist H2O Plants to assess the situation.

H2O’s Billy Hancock saw that the canal – which is purely an aesthetic feature – was suffering from a lack of oxygen. As he says: “With no natural water flow or filtration through the canal arm and basin, blanket weed and silt were building up, suffocating the water and fish. I knew we needed to get some movement in there with aeration.”

Billy spoke to Otterbine and, he says, “didn’t look back”. “The Otterbine team inspected the site and made a recommendation, giving me full confidence they could supply just what we needed. I was also very happy with the quality of the units – I could see these are built to last.”

Although Enfield Island Village Trust originally considered installing fountains, Billy felt that the chosen sub-surface aspirators were better suited to the project, minimizing noise and the risk of vandalism. The units transfer oxygen from the water’s surface into the water column and have brought about a dramatic improvement since they were installed in October last year.

“Since the Otterbines were put in there’s been a vast improvement in water quality – the canal is clear and you can see there’s movement in there, which has broken up the algae and dispersed the silt. Amber Management have now asked us to maintain the basin, canal and surrounding area on a regular basis and, during my last couple of visits, residents have said that they have seen a dramatic change, which is great.”

The silt reduction is saving a significant amount of money, too. Residents had to spend $160,000(£100,000) on silt removal 10 years after the development’s completion and this would be a recurring expense without the Otterbine units. But, because the aerators significantly reduce the amount of silt that builds up in the canal, it is expected that residents will not incur costs of this level in the future.

From design, location and installation, Amber Management project managed the process, working closely with H20 and Otterbine to ensure successful completion with minimal onsite disruption to residents.