The previous chapters have discussed how geomembrane liners are essential for building and maintaining healthy ponds. But they can do so much more than contain water! Geomembranes can enhance many aspects of hatchery operations, improving efficiency, sustainability, and financial success.
Geomembranes are surprisingly versatile tools in modern fish hatcheries. This chapter will explore some less obvious but highly effective ways to leverage geomembrane liners that demonstrate their value beyond the main rearing ponds. We’ll show you how they can contribute to everything from waste management and water storage to environmental protection and operational safety. Get ready to discover the full potential of geomembranes!
Water Storage Reservoirs
A reliable and consistent water supply is absolutely critical for any fish hatchery. Fluctuations in water availability can stress your fish, disrupt your operations, and impact your bottom line. That’s why many hatcheries use on-site water storage reservoirs. Geomembrane liners are essential for ensuring these reservoirs function effectively.
Preventing Seepage
Impermeable geomembranes keep water from seeping through the liner and escaping, an essential element for water conservation, especially in areas facing water scarcity.
Maintaining Water Quality
Geomembranes also keep substances in the surrounding environment separate from the stored water. For in-ground reservoirs, they prevent soil contaminants from leaching in, while for above-ground tanks, they can prevent the tank material itself (e.g., concrete) from altering the water chemistry.
Controlling Evaporation, Airborne Contamination, Algae Growth
While we usually think of liners at the base of the reservoir, geomembranes also make effective covers. Covers reduce evaporative water loss, which is a significant advantage in hot, sunny climates. They’re also effective at preventing airborne debris and pollutants from entering the water and inhibiting algae growth by blocking sunlight.
Creating Versatile Storage
Geomembranes are inherently flexible and can line reservoirs of various shapes and sizes. This versatility allows you to adapt them to your hatchery’s unique layout and needs.
Large Storage Reservoirs
These are often the primary water source for the hatchery and contain a significant volume of water for daily operations. They might be in-ground or above-ground, and flexible geomembranes allow them to adapt to the available land.
Raceway Head Tanks
In raceway systems, smaller tanks may hold treated water before it’s distributed to the raceways. These tanks might be smaller and more geometrically regular (e.g., rectangular or cylindrical) to facilitate flow control.
Quarantine Tanks
Separate, smaller tanks are often used to isolate sick fish or new arrivals. These might be designed for easy cleaning and close monitoring.
Top-Off Tanks
Smaller tanks might provide a steady water supply to compensate for evaporation or water changes in individual rearing tanks, especially in indoor hatchery settings.
Fish Safety and Consumer Health
Liners with NSF/ANSI-61 certification are proven safe for human potable water containment. Using these liners ensures that your fish are not exposed to harmful chemicals leaching from the reservoir lining, resulting in healthier fish that are safe for consumption. This is particularly valuable for hatcheries seeking to follow organic principles and create a natural environment for their stock.
Try This:
- Assess your hatchery’s water needs and determine the appropriate size and capacity for your storage reservoirs.
- Consider the long-term cost savings of using geomembrane liners to minimize water loss, reduce maintenance, and protect water quality.
- For optimal fish health and safety, especially in organic aquaculture, prioritize liners with NSF certification to ensure potable water compatibility.
- Evaluate the feasibility of using geomembrane covers to minimize evaporation, prevent contamination, and control algae growth in your reservoirs.
Raceways and Flow-Through Systems
Raceways are long, narrow channels for rearing fish that prefer flowing water, especially trout and salmon. They rely on a continuous flow to provide oxygen and remove waste. Geomembrane liners offer several advantages in these systems:
Smooth, Easily Cleaned Surfaces
Liners provide a smooth interior surface within the raceway that keeps algae and debris from getting a foothold (so to speak), which simplifies cleaning and helps maintain optimal water quality and fish health.
Reduced Friction
A smooth liner surface minimizes friction in the water, promoting efficient water flow and reducing pumping costs.
Preventing Erosion
In earthen raceways, liners protect the soil from erosion, which can cloud the water and damage the structure.
Design Flexibility
Since geomembranes can line raceways of any shape or size, they easily adapt to the specific needs of your hatchery layout.
Try This: When designing a raceway, prioritize a smooth liner surface for easy cleaning and efficient water flow. Consider how reduced maintenance and improved fish health will benefit your operations in the long run.
Settling Basins and Waste Management
Managing waste effectively is a significant challenge in any fish hatchery. Settling basins lined with geomembranes are an affordable and effective response:
Containing Solids
Solid waste from your ponds or raceways can be collected in dedicated, lined basins to keep it from entering the main water system.
Improved Water Clarification
When solids are allowed to settle out of the water, the clearer water can often be reused or safely discharged without further treatment.
Simplified Waste Removal
Geomembrane liners have a smooth surface that makes removing accumulated waste from the basins easy.
Environmental Protection
Lined settling basins help keep surrounding soil and water sources safe from contamination by effectively containing concentrated waste.
Try This: Design your waste management system with lined settling basins to streamline waste handling and minimize environmental impact.
Secondary Containment
Safety and environmental responsibility are a central focus in any modern fish hatchery, and secondary containment systems are the secret heart of those efforts. Like Superman stepping out of the phone booth, those simple, fish-safe geomembrane liners emerge to play a critical role in secondary containment systems:
Spill Prevention
Lined containment areas around chemical storage tanks or fuel depots can keep spills from spreading into soil and water.
Runoff Control
Lined ditches or basins can capture runoff from hatchery areas, preventing chemical and biological pollutants from entering nearby water bodies.
Compliance with Regulations
Secondary containment systems with geomembrane liners can help your hatchery meet environmental regulations.
Try This: Assess potential spill or runoff risks in your hatchery and establish appropriate secondary containment measures using durable geomembrane liners. Our expert staff has decades of experience in secondary containment installations to guide you.
