Alum Treatment Kills Fish At Newtown Park Retention Pond

JOHNS CREEK, GA -- An attempt to solve one problem at the Newtown Park retention pond has created a bigger headache for the city of Johns Creek.

The city was battling problems with clearing murky water conditions at the pond, which was caused by sediment buildup.

So, according to Assistant City Manager Justin Kirouac, the city last week had the pond dredged to remove the accumulation as well as to improve the look of the small body of water.

Kirouac said this process normally solves the problem, as the particulates usually settle out in the bottom of the pond. However, this never occurred and the pond remained dingy.

Concerned that the process wouldn't work, the city decided to treat the water with alum, which Kirouac said is a "common" method of treatment. The chemical, which is not harsh, usually binds itself to the particles and helps combat any cloudy conditions.

Apparently, the universe had other things in mind. Kirouac said the alum appeared to have forced the pH levels to drop in the pond, which led to the death of several fish inside the water.

The assistant city manager said it appears the fish that didn't survive the treatment were smaller ones, and that the larger Koi seem to be pulling through. He also said the turtles at the pond appear to be in the clear.

On Monday, Johns Creek dispatched a company to the pond to apply a lime treatment, which he said will help stabilize the pH levels in the water.

"We are hopeful that the pond itself will stabilize and we’ll be good after that," he said.

Once the pH levels get back on track, the city will assess the number of fish and other wildlife that come through unscathed during the hiccup and "we'll restock as appropriate," Kirouac said.

Image via city of Johns Creek