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Client

City of Spruce Grove

Year

2025

Location

Spruce Grove, AB

Project Summary

In Summer 2025, AEC installed a complete fine-bubble aeration system, along with a 5 HP floating fountain with colour-changing LED lights, to help circulate, oxygenate, and enhance the beauty of McLaughlin Pond in Spruce Grove. This pond is part of the city's stormwater system and has been receiving significant nutrient loading from stormwater inflows, resulting in heavy aquatic weed growth and recurring algae blooms.

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Because the pond is located within a popular community park with walking trails and homes surrounding it, aesthetics and public safety were also important priorities. AEC delivered a turnkey aeration system to fulfill the project's functional goals, while the stunning fountain and lighting addressed its aesthetic goals. A custom control cabinet was added to house all onshore equipment, including the compressors, fountain and light control panels, and electrical panels. This cabinet was designed to be visually neutral, secure, and built for long-term outdoor operation.

Spruce Grove McLaughlin Pond Aeration & Fountain Project

Project Objective & Goals

  • Improve dissolved oxygen levels throughout the pond.

  • Enhance circulation to help limit algae and reduce excessive aquatic weed growth.

  • Install a visually striking floating fountain feature with colour-changing lights.

Methods 

  • Installed a fine-bubble diffuser system sized for the pond's nutrient load and circulation needs.

  • Sized and installed a 5 HP floating fountain with 6-fixture, 24W colour changing LED lighting for both aeration support and aesthetic enhancement.

  • Supplied and installed a CSA-certified control cabinet containing:

    • Aeration compressor and manifold set-up​

    • Fountain control panel

    • Lighting control panel

    • Added ventilation and colling specifically for the compressor

    • Secure, tamper-resistant exterior suitable for public areas

  • Conducted onsite adjustments to the system layout due to unexpectedly shallow water and excessive weeds.

  • Placed heavy matting underneath the fountain to prevent dense weeds from interfering with the intake or spray pattern.

  • GPS-mapped all diffuser positions and routed all airlines and cables to a clearly marked, consolidated point in the pond

    • This prevents conflicts with the city's aquatic weed harvester, which actively oeprates in the pond.​

Challenges 

  • The pond was shallower than anticipated, reducing typical aeration efficiency.

  • Significant aquatic weed overgrowth required modifications to the fountain installation.

  • We needed to ensure safe integration with the city's weed-harvesting operations, to prevent damage to airlines or power cords.

  • Installation in a public space created additional logistical and safety constraints.

Timeline

Plan Proposal: Summer 2024

Project Approval: Winter 2024

System Installation: Summer 2025

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Planned Solutions 

To overcome the site-specific challanges, AEC implemented:

  • Low-profile diffuser placement strategies are suited for shallow depths.

  • Weed-proofing measures, including reinforced matting beneath the fountain to mitigate the risk of weeds getting sucked up by the impellar.

  • We consolidated the airlines and cords in a single point in the pond, which was marked to allow for the city to continue weed harvesting safely.

  • We used low-impact equipment to complete this installation and finished the job in one day, so park activities could continue uninterrupted.

Results 

  • The fountain has recieved strong positive feedback from the City.

  • The aeration system has been performing well, without interruptions.

  • The City is satisfied with system eprformance and has already allocated funding for a second system in another sotrmwater pond, scheduled for installation in 2026.

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