Help! I Think I Have a Leaky Pond!

WHERE DID THE WATER GO?

In any system with water, pipes, liners and rocks, leaks can – and do – develop.  Finding those leaks can be tricky, but there are some steps you can take to help narrow down the problem area.



When is it leaking?
First, pay attention to what time of day you notice the “leak.” If you top off your pond in the morning and notice that the water level has fallen an inch or two by evening, you may not have a problem. Hot, dry weather will cause quite a bit of evaporation during the day, especially if your waterfall splashes a lot. A power outage can cause your waterfall box or bog to empty out, pushing excess water out the overflow. When the pump resumes operation, the water level in the main pond will drop as the system refills.

Adding water in the evening and noticing a significant drop overnight is a pretty good sign you have a leak…

Observation
A good first step is to take a look at the areas around the outside of the pond. Check the pump and all visible plumbing connections for leaks. Check the outflow from the skimmer and the area around the skimmer and waterfall boxes for damp soil.

On the edges of the waterfall, stream, bog and/or pond, make sure that the liner is still above the water line. Thick plants can change the level of the water, and wildlife may push rocks around, shifting the liner or changing the water level.

Troubleshooting
If you still don’t see the problem area, turn off the pump, allow the waterfall and bog to drain (or close the backflow valve if you have a mechanical system) and refill the pond to its normal level, preferably in the evening. If the level stays the same overnight, you know that the leak is in the external areas of the pond.

If the water is noticeably lower the next morning, let it go until the water stops draining. (Yes, you want to keep an eye on it during this phase, especially if you have fish you can’t move to a holding tank!) Once the level stabilizes you will know how deep the leak is.

Find & Fix
Once you have a general idea of where the leak is, it will take some trial and error to find the location. For the drop to be noticeable overnight, you are probably looking for a tear or gap in the liner at least 2” long. As you shift rocks around, push on the liner – an area that has saturated soil behind it will feel like a damp sponge, and you’ll know you’re near the leak.

It’s a good idea to call a pond installer, or take a couple of good pictures of the leak with you to your local pond supplier. They can assess the location of the leak and the type of liner you have and recommend a fix that is appropriate for your local climate.

Located in Western WA? Give us a call at 425-583-3349 and we’ll come fix your leaky pond!