Fixing the Pond: The Sequel

After Victoria and I spent some time, a few weeks ago, looking for the leak in our pond, and after attempting, without success, to fix the leak, I broke down and ordered a brand new pond liner. Click here to read about our first attempt to fix our leaky pond.

It had been eighteen years since we first installed our pond liner, so I suppose it was time for a new one. However, I was pleased to note that the new liner has a 20-year warranty, and an 80-year life expectancy. Either way, this should be the last time we have to replace the liner in this pond.

Since our community no longer has a place to buy pond supplies, I ordered the new liner from Amazon. It arrived in two days, as promised. Then, the following Saturday, Victoria and I started to work.

It was a dirty job, but someone had to do it. It took the better part of two days and four someones: Bill, Victoria, Levi, and me. 

Victoria started the first morning by cleaning out several five gallon buckets. (For some reason, she waited to take off her pink socks after that job required her to stand in a puddle of water.) As we emptied the pond, we filled the buckets with assorted plants and fish. 

Our four goldfish easily survived overnight in their bucket, with a little help from an aerator, and a few goldfish pellets thrown in for good measure.

We discovered, quite some time ago, that a shop vac works great to remove water and sludge from a pond. It takes just a few seconds to slurp up an entire canister of water, and a couple of minutes to fill it up with nasty sludge. Emptying the container takes the most time and effort, but the wheels make it pretty easy. (The shop vac would roll easier if I hadn't planted all that thyme in the sidewalk cracks.)

  

Bill helped remove the rocks and inevitable sludge at the bottom of the pond. 

It wasn't his favorite part of the day.

We spread the rocks on a tarp. 

Then, Victoria gritted her teeth and scrubbed the algae off the biggest rocks.

It took all four of us to hoist the filthy old liner out of the pond and move it over to the basketball court, where we laid it out to dry before folding it up. I plan to throw it in the back of the pickup with some tree branches, and make a trip to the dump later this week.

The pond looked much better after the old liner was removed. The foam underlayment was still in good shape. When we lifted it to look at the sand underneath, we could see right where the water had been leaking out of the pond. It was rather gratifying to find that the "milk trick" had shown us exactly where the leaks were. Unfortunately, there were several small leaks where some small roots had been growing through the liner, so it had been impossible for us to patch them all.

It took all four of us, once again, to stretch the heavy, new liner across the pond. Then we turned on the hose and let the water mold the liner into place. Bill installed the new pump, and we called it a day.

Sunday afternoon's work was much more satisfying. After cutting the liner and edging it with bricks, the kids and I placed the rocks back into the pond while Bill hooked up the UV filter system, which should keep most of the algae out of the pond. Then, we replaced the wooden bench, dumped the fish back in, and sat down to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Ahhh! Much better!

I have seen personally what is the only beneficial and appropriate course of action for people: to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all their hard work on earth during the few days of their life which God has given them, for this is their reward. 

  Ecclesiastes 5:18 NET Bible