POINT PLEASANT BEACH — The mayor and council discussed different possibilities for aerating the borough’s under-oxygenated Lake of the Lilies at their final meeting of the year on Dec. 18.
Lake of the Lilies, the southernmost of the three lakes in Point Pleasant Beach, has recently experienced a period of particularly poor ecological health, including invasive phragmites, swarms of midges, algae blooms and an Aug. 12 fish kill of more than 5,000 fish.
After several members of the governing body had expressed concerns regarding a possible lack of oxygen in the lake as a cause, Borough Administrator Christine Riehl began to solicit quotes for automated aeration systems.
The two primary options on the table for aerating the lake, as explained by Riehl, are an “underwater bubbler” aeration system and a fountain, both of which would cost the borough roughly the same price.
“We solicited quotes from Storr Tractor Company, who also specialize in aquatic and sub-aquatic aerators,” she told The Ocean Star Thursday. “Our borough engineer inquired who Spring Lake and Lake Como used for their fountains, and we came up with Otterbine Barebo, Inc. Their rep suggested the high volume industrial aerator, but said a less horsepower fountain may work as well. The initial quote was $25,020 and $22,026 respectively. In addition, we will need to get power to the fountain.”
At the meeting, she explained the pros and cons of each prospective aeration method.
The mayor and council gave comments on the aeration ideas, weighing both the perceived aesthetic benefit of fountains despite their lower water volume versus the efficiency of an underwater bubbler, which would move more water but require an “industrial”-looking electrical panel to be placed near the lake.
“The key is to address the issues of the lake, but it would be nice if it looks aesthetically nicer, too,” said Council President Rosa Crowley, who was one of the first governing body officials to call for a look into aeration options. “If there’s two of them, it’s obviously going to move substantially more.”
Mayor Doug Vitale said that while he understands the possibility of a bubbler to oxygenate three times as much water per minute, he would prefer the aesthetic appeal of a set of fountains over the bubbler.
“I think this industrial look is very aggressive,” said Vitale. “It doesn’t look like it’s anything serene. To me, it looks like it’s just bubbling water — will that scare away some of our swans? Would it be loud?”
However, Councilman Mike Ramos cautioned against making a final decision before determining whether a fountain would be able to sufficiently oxygenate the water, so as not to spend money on a possibly ineffective solution, with which the mayor and the rest of the council agreed.
“I would just recommend making sure that the amount of water that it’s pulling and moving is going to be sufficient,” Ramos said. “I’d hate to see us spend the money if it’s not going to be effective. The main goal here is not so much the look; the main goal is really to address this algae and these pest issues. I would get some kind of confirmation before you pull the trigger on this.”
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