Legacy,
We took three samples from clogged filters to a laboratory in Boise on August 23rd. We have finally received the results. Below is a summary with excerpts from the report. The samples came from phases SF-3, SF-10 and SF-16. We will provide these results to our pond company and ask if they can recommend a treatment to the irrigation system to help purge the material from our lines this week.
All three samples revealed annelids (worms), gastropods (snails & slugs), decaying filamentous algae (pond scum), and diatomaceous algae (brown algae like you’d find on a fish tank). Based on these results, we assume this material isn’t being pulled in or growing in the lines, we think it’s leftovers from the filter break last summer and should eventually purge itself from the system. With that said, a treatment of Eutrosorb WC or Eutrosorb G (which are both materials we use in the ponds to keep the algae at bay), will help clean out the system.
Contamination Identification: 2419350-01 Inorganics. The sample was dried and digested and was found to have high levels of non-digestible material (silicates, sand 55.9 %). There were trace levels of calcium (0.5%), magnesium (0.3%), potassium (0.2%), iron (1.2%), manganese (0.4%) and aluminum (1.2%). Typical of dirt.