The effect of a green energy landscape fountain on water quality improvement

Obtaining clean water from limited water resources has become very important issue in modern society. The subject is also the main focus of this study. The study site was located on the shore of open water within the campus of Mingdao University. The study site consisted of three water tanks, dug 1.5 m away from the shoreline. Comparison analysis on water quality improvement between waters with green energy landscape fountains (GLF) and waters without GLF was performed. GLF is a floating island equipped with solar panels supplying electricity. Its size is approximately 60 cm × 60 cm, made of PVC pipes. Six different bodies of water (A-F) and twelve indicators of water quality improvement were studied during a 12-month period. The study results revealed that waters with GLFs all showed improvement in water quality. Temperatures and pH levels among top, middle and bottom layers of water were not significantly different. The rates of removing EC, TN, PO4, and COD from waters were all above 50% while removal rates for NH3-N, NO2, and NO3 all reached 100%. The findings demonstrate the benefits of GLF on improving the quality of water. This study also provides information which can be applied in landscape architecture, architecture and ecology design and engineering in the future.