Fixing a leaking pond? Cancel The title field is required!

1. Winston Turpin

   

   0 posts
   
   12/6/2017 10:12 AM

   I have a pond on property that leaks. It has a old PVC liner in it installed in 1989 that has now been compromised due to heavy flooding over the years. It leaks down to a certain water line very quickly, and then drastically slows down after that. It's roughly 1 surface acre in size, 4-5 feet deep, and I would estimate that it loses close to 500,000 gallons of water before it begins to slow down. It requires filling it everyday with water from a pump station in order for it to stay full. Anyone have any success fixing a pond that leaks? Install a new liner? Use bentonite clay? Any other suggestions?

   
   
   
   
2. James Schmid

   

   1 posts
   
   12/6/2017 11:12 AM

   installing a new liner works

   
   
   
   
3. Andy Jorgensen

   

   1 posts
   
   12/6/2017 11:12 AM

   Where it stops draining is where the leak is. Walk the edge till you find it. You can patch the liner using a patch and solvent. Course next door did just that a few months ago.

   
   
   
   
4. Winston Turpin

   

   0 posts
   
   12/7/2017 8:12 AM

   I'm hesitant to install a new liner due to a recent liner installation we did here on another pond (10 years ago) and now it no longer holds water very well. They seem to fail after heavy floods rip them and compromise the edge. I don't want to invest so much $$ into putting a new liner in again only to see Mother Nature rip it out of the ground every time we get a 10 year flooding event (which seems to happen once every 2 years vs. 10). Anyone have any better luck with liners than what I've experienced?

   
   
   
   
5. James Smith

   

   112 posts
   
   12/8/2017 7:12 AM

   Andy's advice would be my own. just find the Rip and repair it. you can get new liner material and a special liner glue at a local box store like Home Depot that is used for backyard ponds. I used this material in a fountain I installed in my front yard and its easy to work with. Just make sure the old liner is clean first. this may need a pressure washer to get done but I would try a bucket with diluted bleach first.
   
   you really have nothing to use by trying the repair other than maybe $100

   
   
   
   
6. James Schmid

   

   1 posts
   
   12/8/2017 2:12 PM

   We have repaired liners with mixed results. Make sure you know what your liner is. Most are PVC, some are PE or other types. You need to patch with the same material as your original liner. If you have PE, the process to join the patch to the original liner is different. I would second the suggestion that you make sure it is clean.
   
   Word of warning, depending on the age and condition of the liner, it can become brittle, and a small crack can quickly spread when disturbed if you are not careful. Tread lightlightly and handle with care