An £8,000 project to clear red algae from Dundee’s Swannie Ponds has been completed.
The Sustainable Water Company, owned by Derrick Emms, 46, was brought in by the city council to clear the algae, with dog walkers previously warned not to let their pets drink the water until it was cleaned.
Derrick, who has run the West Lothian-based company for 14 years, said: “It’s great that Dundee City Council brought us in to clear up the algae.
“Our amphibious track machine is basically a boat that also has caterpillar tracks allowing it to travel over land and float on water. It has a special cutter head attachment that skims along the clay bed at the bottom of the pond and cuts the roots of the weeds, so creating open water.
Derrick has said that this will keep an optimum oxygen level in the water.
“It’s fantastic to see local authorities taking responsibility for their water assets,” he said.
“We always hear about looking after our environment, but I think water pollution is one of the parts the public don’t hear enough about.
“I would love to see authorities putting aside the same amount of budget for operations like this as they do for grass cutting or other environmental tasks.