In 2017, David Rutkowski, Vice President of Facility Operations with Security Benefit in Topeka, Kansas, reached out to us in search of a solution for his water retention basins, which were becoming dominated by unsightly aquatic growth.
Security Benefit has a large campus in Topeka, with two vast ponds used to capture water runoff from the facility.
Aquatic Growth with a Desperate Need for Aeration
“Unfortunately, come late July and August, the ponds were looking bad,” said David. “We had a lot of floating and aquatic growth that was going down below the surface. The larger pond was somewhat shallow and had a high water clarity, so the sunlight was getting to the base of the pond, causing a tremendous amount of aquatic growth.”
So, David reached out to Roy, who introduced David and his team to aeration. “Once we got that oxygen into the water and incorporated an aggressive aquatic herbicide treatment, the combination of oxygenation and herbicide cleared everything up,” David said.
A Transformation for All to See
Roy proposed installing submerged aeration and surface aeration to provide mixing and aeration. Roy and David also discussed the continuation of biological/chemical treatment to return the body of water back into a beautiful and functional retention pond instead of a smelly body of water. The installation of a 3/4 horsepower Deep-Aire subsurface aeration system with four diffusers and three 1.5 horsepower fountains with lights transformed the whole display into a beautiful water feature that shows off the Security Benefit campus.
Hands-on Customer Service
“Roy was hands-on during the whole process,” David said. “He personally worked with us and helped us set it up.”
Another problem came up when Roy was on-site. “We didn’t realize that we had muskrats that had built burrows in the pond,” David said. “They also chewed some of our wires in the fountains, but Roy came along with a solution for that. He provided grated stainless steel coverings for the fountains, and that solved that problem!”
“We are thrilled with the product,” David said, who was thankful that Roy walked through the whole project with his team.
A Loyalty to Customer Support
David also knows Roy on a personal side, having worked with him to use de-icers at his property at the Lake of the Ozarks.
“We’re still recovering from one of the worst winters in 20 years,” David said. “Roy’s product is the best de-icer on the market, hands-down. His products are being used all the way up in Canada in freezing temperatures. That goes a long way in speaking to the quality of his products.”
“If you look at the quality of the product and solutions that Roy brings to the table compared to the larger companies that offer fountain products, he offers a tremendous amount of value with quality products at the right price and excellent support,” David added.
Though Security Benefit is a global company, they still support local businesses in the greater Kansas City metro area. “Roy is a part of and supportive of the community,” David said. “We want to support local businesses, and Roy has terrific products and customer support.”
At Air-O-Lator, we offer a variety of products for pond maintenance including Electric Aerators, Solar Pond Aerators, Aerating Fountain, Display Fountains, Surface Aeration, De-Icer, Mixers, and more. Our pond product line is designed to provide the most natural, energy efficient way to treat water quality problems while begin easy to use and maintain. Each unit is made in the USA and constructed from the highest grade components. If you have any questions or would like more information, contact us at 866.471.1614 today!
