Anything that comes into contact with your water will have some impact on its makeup, depending on the quality of water and your material. Especially in the treatment process, incoming water flow may include corrosive chemicals or abrasive sediments. In order to maintain complex flow patterns or manage sludge build-up, frequent cleanings and maintenance will be necessary. These factors mean that any material within a design must be durable and tear resistant. Other conditions will also be important to consider when choosing your material. Will the baffles be in contact with sunlight? Even underneath water, UV radiation can wear down some materials over time, especially PVC. Thicker material may be more resistant to damage, but can also add weight, making access more difficult.
Water that’s going to be used for irrigating crops, or other kinds of human consumption, is subject to special regulations in order to assure safety. This is also relevant when dealing with aquaculture, and fish health can also be affected by water quality. Some materials aren’t plant, food, fish, or human-safe. These materials can either be toxic in of themselves, or likely to leach plasticizers or other chemicals over time. These chemicals can kill fish directly, or poison humans further down the line.
As technology has improved, there are more and more options available when it comes to waterproof or watertight materials. Concrete and steel are popular options within static water operations, however these can be reactive or absorbent when they come into contact with chemicals often found in wastewater. Here, an underlayment or baffle curtain in addition to the structural wall may be useful.
Reinforced polyethylene (RPE) is a popular option within pond liners, baffles, or other applications. It is lightweight, easy to install, and can be manufactured in very large single panels so that seams are not required. RPE’s reinforcing scrim layer prevents both tears and punctures, and the qualities of polyethylene (HDPE and LDPE) make the material naturally resistant to UV exposure. BTL Liners’ AquaArmor products are fish, plant, food, and human safe (AquaArmor is NSF-6 certified for containing potable water.)
BTL Liners specializes in manufacturing baffles curtains to custom specs based on your specific needs and design. We can fabricate a variety of configurations that account for the special needs of even the most complex installations. Whenever necessary, we’re able to fabricate custom panel lengths, variations in skirt depths, custom anchoring or ballast setups, extra reinforcement for heavy duty applications, and even use materials that offer extreme resistance to UV or chemical degradation. UV resistance is a critical factor if your installation needs to remain viable for a long stretch, or if you plan to store it and use it again.
BTL Liners has years of experience working with engineers to produce curtains with the right sizes, the right densities, and the right configurations for a virtually unlimited range of situations. Our highly qualified fabrication team produces your custom curtain in-house to meet the highest standards in the industry, with precisely welded seams, strict quality checks, and carefully packaged and labeled panels. Our state-of-the-art facility and dedicated team allows us to maintain the highest standards in speed of delivery, customer service and uncompromising quality. Give BTL Liners a call, or have your engineer get in touch with us and we can begin exploring your project right away.
