Historic Ecuadorian City Installs SonicPure

“As a strategic part of our city revitalization initiative, we’ve installed a number of ultrasonic flotation systems to remove harmful algae from our beautiful Laguna de Yahuarcocha,” said Andrea Scacco, Mayor of Ibarra, Ecuador. “We’re proud to be the first city in Ecuador to use this technology, and we’re very confident that this, along with other strategic investments, will help us restore our water to its natural, beautiful state.”

We recently worked with the city of Ibarra, Ecuador, as they installed SonicPure technology at Laguna de Yahuarcocha as part of a broader city revitalization effort. The goal was to address harmful algal growth in the lagoon and improve overall water quality, supporting long-term restoration rather than short-term fixes.

Restoring Laguna de Yahuarcocha

The installation includes our Sentinel AIQ units, which use ultrasonic flotation systems to eliminate harmful algal blooms. From the city’s perspective, this was a strategic investment. The lagoon is a central part of Ibarra’s identity, both culturally and economically, and restoring it to a healthier state was a clear priority for local leadership.

Laguna de Yahuarcocha is widely recognized as a national landmark. It has been designated by Ecuador’s National Institute of Cultural Heritage as one of the country’s most sacred natural sites. Beyond its cultural significance, it is also a major tourist destination and a recreational destination. Over time, algae growth had become more difficult to manage, driven in part by nutrient runoff and rising water temperatures. The city needed an approach that could address those conditions without disrupting the lagoon itself.

The Sentinel AIQ Approach

That is where the Sentinel AIQ platform came into the picture. The system is fully solar-powered and operates continuously, enabling it to function without straining local infrastructure. It includes an onboard laboratory and Internet of Things monitoring that tracks a range of water quality indicators, including blue-green algae levels, chlorophyll A, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, and turbidity.

Having that data available on an ongoing basis makes it easier to understand what is happening in the water and how conditions change over time.

Working With Local Leadership

We worked closely with Mayor Andrea Scacco and our local partner in Ecuador, Renato Jacome of Rentelkoi Solutions, throughout the process. The focus of those conversations was always the same: restoring the lagoon so it remains healthy and accessible for future generations.

This installation is one step in that direction, alongside other investments the city is making to protect and enhance the area.

Setting an Example for the Region

With this project, Ibarra is demonstrating how technology can support environmental stewardship without detracting from a site's historical and cultural importance. It shows what is possible when preservation efforts are treated as part of long-term city planning rather than isolated projects.