Cleaning a Lake After a Flood Without Chemicals
Floods are one of nature’s most disruptive forces. They sweep through landscapes, carrying with them soil, debris, and pollution, and often leave lasting scars on the environment. Lakes, in particular, are highly vulnerable to flooding events. What might look like a calm body of water can quickly become a reservoir of pollutants, odours, and decaying matter once the floodwater recedes.
Traditionally, many attempts to restore lakes after such disasters have relied on chemical treatments, dredging, or mechanical interventions. While these methods can deliver short-term results, they often come at a cost — damaging ecosystems, harming wildlife, or leaving behind secondary pollution.
But there is another way. With advances in organic science, it is now possible to remediate lakes after floods using natural enzyme-based solutions. Bioglobe, a laboratory working out of Cyprus with a focus on organic enzyme remediation, has developed safe, effective, and bespoke treatments that restore lakes without the need for harsh chemicals.
This article explores how floods affect lakes, why conventional methods can be problematic, and how Bioglobe’s organic approach offers a sustainable path to recovery. We will examine the problem, the consequences, and finally, the solution, before addressing common questions people have about lakes after floods.
Understanding the Problem
When a flood hits, it does far more than inundate land with water. The water itself becomes a carrier of multiple pollutants and stressors. By the time it settles into lakes, the floodwater has collected a cocktail of contaminants.
Pollution Influx
Floodwaters sweep across roads, fields, and sewage systems. As they move, they pick up everything from agricultural fertilisers and pesticides to petrol, oils, heavy metals, and untreated sewage. When this mixture settles in a lake, it creates a complex problem: multiple types of contaminants co-existing, each affecting the ecosystem in different ways.
Nutrient Overload
One of the most common issues is nutrient pollution, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus. These nutrients, while beneficial in small amounts, arrive in overwhelming quantities after a flood because they are present in fertilisers, animal waste, and soil run-off. In a lake, these excess nutrients provide the perfect conditions for algal blooms — a rapid growth of algae that smothers the water.
Organic Debris
Floods also deliver large amounts of organic material: leaves, branches, soil particles, and sometimes even dead animals. As this material sinks and begins to decompose, it uses up oxygen in the water. The decomposition process also produces unpleasant odours and murky sediments.
Oxygen Depletion
Healthy lakes rely on a balance of dissolved oxygen to support fish, aquatic plants, and beneficial microorganisms. Flood-related pollution and debris quickly disrupt this balance. Oxygen levels plummet, making it difficult for aquatic life to survive.
Sediment Disturbance
Floods stir up sediments from the bottom of a lake, clouding the water and smothering aquatic plants. Once this sediment settles again, it can bury habitats and spawn sites for fish and insects.
The Consequences
The problems caused by floods do not disappear once the water drains away. In fact, many consequences continue to affect a lake long after the event.
Algal Blooms and Toxins
With excess nutrients in the water, algae multiply rapidly. Some algae are simply a nuisance, while others produce harmful toxins that pose risks to both wildlife and people. Blue-green algae, for example, can produce toxins that affect the liver and nervous system of animals and humans.
Bad Smells and Aesthetic Decline
Decaying organic matter releases gases such as hydrogen sulphide, methane, and ammonia. These give the lake an unpleasant smell, often described as “rotten eggs”. Combined with cloudy, murky water, the lake becomes unattractive and less suitable for recreation.
Fish Kills
When oxygen levels fall too low, fish and other aquatic animals suffocate. Sudden fish kills can wipe out entire populations, disrupting the food chain and damaging the reputation of a lake for anglers and visitors.
Long-Term Sedimentation
Over time, the sediments carried by floods settle at the bottom of the lake, making it shallower. This reduces its capacity to hold water, which in turn increases the risk of future flooding. Sedimentation also changes the ecological dynamics of the lake, often encouraging invasive weeds instead of open water habitats.
Public Health Concerns
Floodwaters often carry pathogens from sewage and animal waste. Once in a lake, these pathogens can survive long enough to cause risks to anyone swimming, fishing, or even walking near the water. Outbreaks of waterborne diseases are a real risk if lakes are not treated properly after a flood.
High-Cost Clean-Ups
Conventional clean-up methods are often expensive. Dredging to remove sediment requires heavy machinery and disturbs habitats. Chemical treatments may control algae temporarily but leave behind their own residues and risks. For local councils or community groups, the financial burden can be significant.
The Solution: Organic Enzyme Remediation
Instead of turning to harsh chemicals or disruptive machinery, Bioglobe offers a different solution: the use of organic enzymes to restore lakes naturally.
What Are Enzymes?
Enzymes are biological catalysts — natural proteins that speed up chemical reactions. In nature, enzymes are everywhere: in our bodies, in plants, and in microbes. They break down food in our stomachs, decompose fallen leaves in forests, and help recycle nutrients in soils.
When applied to polluted water, enzymes can accelerate the breakdown of contaminants into harmless substances. For example, complex hydrocarbons from oils can be broken into simpler compounds that natural microbes then consume. Organic matter like dead plants can be reduced into harmless building blocks such as carbon dioxide and water.
How Bioglobe Works
Bioglobe’s approach begins with careful analysis. Every lake and every flood is different, so the company does not rely on a “one-size-fits-all” product. Instead, samples of water and sediment are taken and tested in Bioglobe’s laboratory. The types of pollutants are identified, and a bespoke blend of enzymes is created to target those pollutants specifically.
This customisation is key. A lake polluted with fertilisers needs different treatment from one contaminated by oil, sewage, or industrial run-off. By tailoring the enzyme solution, Bioglobe ensures maximum effectiveness.
Safe Deployment
Once the enzyme blend is ready, it can be introduced directly into the lake in carefully measured quantities. The enzymes get to work immediately, breaking down pollutants and supporting natural microbial communities. Unlike chemicals, enzymes do not kill indiscriminately. Instead, they enable natural processes to do their job more efficiently.
Supporting the Ecosystem
One of the greatest advantages of enzyme remediation is that it supports, rather than disrupts, the ecosystem. Fish, insects, and plants are not harmed. Microorganisms that normally break down waste are given a helping hand. Over time, oxygen levels rise, water clarity improves, and biodiversity begins to return.
No Residues or Secondary Pollution
Enzymes themselves are biodegradable. After performing their role, they eventually break down into amino acids, leaving no harmful residues behind. This makes the approach far safer than chemical treatments, which often introduce new pollutants into the environment.
A Step-by-Step Recovery Process
To help people understand how enzyme remediation works in practice, here is a step-by-step outline of how a lake might be restored after a flood.
- Assessment and Sampling – Water and sediment samples are collected to identify the types of pollutants.
- Laboratory Analysis – Pollutants are analysed, and a customised enzyme blend is designed.
- Pilot Testing – Small-scale tests are conducted in controlled conditions to ensure effectiveness and safety.
- Application – The enzyme solution is introduced into the lake in carefully calculated doses.
- Monitoring – Oxygen levels, clarity, and biodiversity are monitored regularly.
- Maintenance – Depending on the size of the lake and the extent of pollution, follow-up treatments may be applied.
- Recovery – As pollutants break down, the lake gradually returns to a healthier state, with clear water, balanced nutrients, and thriving wildlife.
Why Choose Organic Solutions?
For communities, councils, and individuals concerned about their environment, there are several compelling reasons to choose organic enzyme remediation.
- Eco-Friendly: It restores the balance of nature without adding new chemicals.
- Cost-Effective: It reduces the need for expensive dredging or repeated chemical treatments.
- Customised: Each solution is tailored to the actual problem, ensuring effectiveness.
- Safe: There is no risk of harming wildlife, pets, or people.
- Sustainable: It sets the lake on a path to long-term health rather than short-term fixes.
Everyday Benefits of a Healthy Lake
For ordinary people living near a lake or visiting it for recreation, the benefits of organic remediation are clear.
- Cleaner Water: Clearer, fresher water is more pleasant to look at and safer to enjoy.
- Better Wildlife: Fish populations recover, birds return, and aquatic plants thrive.
- Improved Smells: Odours fade as organic matter is broken down naturally.
- Community Value: A healthy lake boosts property values, attracts visitors, and creates a sense of pride in the local environment.
Timeframe for Recovery
Many people wonder how long it takes for a lake to recover after a flood. The truth is that it depends on the severity of the problem, the size of the lake, and the types of pollutants involved.
- Short-Term Improvements: Odours and visible debris can start to reduce within weeks of enzyme treatment.
- Medium-Term Improvements: Water clarity, oxygen levels, and reductions in algal growth may be noticeable within a few months.
- Long-Term Improvements: A fully balanced ecosystem, with stable fish populations and natural self-regulation, can take six months to a year.
Looking Ahead: A Sustainable Future
Floods are likely to become more common as climate change alters rainfall patterns. Communities will need sustainable ways to protect and restore their natural resources. Organic enzyme remediation offers a practical, science-based solution that is kind to the environment and effective against a wide range of pollutants.
By harnessing the power of nature’s own catalysts, we can clean lakes without chemicals, safeguard biodiversity, and create healthier environments for people and wildlife alike.
FAQs
Why do lakes smell after flooding?
Lakes often smell after floods because of decaying organic matter such as plants, soil, and sometimes dead animals that enter the water. As this material breaks down in low-oxygen conditions, gases like hydrogen sulphide and ammonia are released, creating foul odours.
Can natural solutions remove flood contamination?
Yes. Natural solutions such as enzyme remediation are highly effective at breaking down pollutants introduced by floods, including sewage, oils, and organic debris. Unlike chemical treatments, they work with the ecosystem rather than against it, producing harmless by-products.
How fast does water recover?
The speed of recovery depends on the size of the lake, the types of pollutants, and the extent of the damage. In some cases, odours and visible pollution can improve within weeks. A full ecological recovery may take several months to a year, depending on ongoing conditions.
Bioglobe offer Organic Enzyme pollution remediation for major oil-spills, oceans and coastal waters, marinas and inland water, sewage and nitrate remediation and agriculture and brown-field sites, throughout the UK and Europe.
We have created our own Enzyme based bioremediation in our own laboratory in Cyprus and we are able to create bespoke variants for maximum efficacy.
Our team are able to identify the pollution, we then assess the problem, conduct site tests and send samples to our lab where we can create a bespoke variant, we then conduct a pilot test and proceed from there.
Our Enzyme solutions are available around the world, remediation pollution organically without any harm to the ecosystem.
For further information:
BioGlobe LTD (UK),
Phone: +44(0) 116 4736303| Email: info@bioglobe.co.uk