Cutting Edge Onsite Machining has begun work on installing a new aeration system on 9 hydroelectric units across three powerhouses owned by Southern Company – at Weiss Lake, Neely Henry Lake, and Logan Martin Lake. Work on each unit includes installation of a custom platform; draft tube cutting, removal, and repair; installation of new aeration piping system; and anchoring, welding, and grouting.

Aeration systems provide dissolved oxygen in the water, which is necessary to many forms of life including fish, invertebrates, bacteria, and plants. These organisms use oxygen in respiration, like organisms on land. Fish and crustaceans obtain oxygen for respiration through their gills, while plant life and phytoplankton require dissolved oxygen for respiration when there is no light for photosynthesis.