Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Product sources ag tiles to capture water

Since it never rains anymore on the pond, I am considering capturing the rain, if it comes, in the hollow and directing it to the pond. Can someone expand on the use of agricultural tiles and where they may be obtained, approx. cost, etc.? or alternative suggestions? tnx

Interesting idea. Keep us posted what you find out.

BM:

Are you contemplating using the flexible black/yellow plastic corrugated tile? I have been frustrated this morning trying to find prices on this on-line; it may be one of the contruction commodities which no one posts prices for on the web (we had a real pain last month trying to find building material prices on-line for a CAD Architecture project my Son was doing for school).

Here's some general info on this tile just in case. It comes in solid (for moving water) and slotted (for picking up or potentially dispersing water). I have seen some older corrugated tile with holes, rather than slots; I am not sure this type is still available. The slotted is what is used to pick up excess water from a slit trench in fields.

Common diameter sizes are 4", 6", 8" and on up. The smaller diameters come in 250' rolls; maybe also 100' rolls. Fittings such as connection joints, tees, and wyes just snap on to the ends by hand - it all goes together pretty easily and quickly. If you are short on connection joints, two ends can be fitted together with no extra parts using a knife. They also make reducing Tees so you can run the smaller sizes into the bigger sizes.

The corrugated tile is available at farm stores (like TSC), lumber yards, and drainage supply places (which we found to have the best prices, giving a noticeable savings if you are buying a large quantity). You can use TheBlueBook.com to search for construction material (i.e. corrugated tile or "plastic pipe") suppliers near you, like this search result which shows Discount Drainage in Columbus, Ohio: TheBlueBook Corrugated Tile Search . You may have to call to get any prices.

If this is what you were thinking about and you have any more questions, let me know.

Theo, I really didnt know what I am looking for, and had remembered that you and maybe others had mentioned it. Thanks for the good info. I'm sure I will have more questions. I would like to see a pic. I dont really know what it looks like. When you say 4,6 8" diameters are you referring to the dia. of the corrugations? I am very ignorant on this topic. I just know I need water.

Theo, I am confused when you say it comes in 250 rolls, but they join together. Maybe better posed as a question.
If you had a hollow and didnt care about killing the weeds and grass instead of bush hogging, is there something to lay down to capture the rain and divert it to the pond in the hollow?

BM:

OK! I get to recycle a picture as well as recycling trash:


The BLACK tiles on the monstrosity above are corrugated plastic field tile, 6" diameter at the bottom right and at the top, and 4" diameter sticking out of the bottom left. As you can see, this is the diameter of the hole through the middle - the corrugations are quite small and serve to 1) strengthen the tile wrt crushing and 2) allow accordionlike flexibility and ease of curvature.

One way I have thought of so far for you to divert water to your pond would be to build a catch basin in the next hollow over. You could put slotted tile in the basin with a gravel cover over it to collect the water that stops there, then run a solid tile from the basin (I assume in a trench that is backfilled over the tile) to drain into your pond. Whether this would be any less work than diverting the next hollow's run off with a surface drain or terrace is arguable and would depend on the terrain, etc. involved. It IS a subsurface alternative that may be preferrable depending upon your situation and preferences.

Someone else may have a completely different, better idea that does not involve tile (fingers crossed).

Sooo, drain 'tiles' are actually flexible corrugated pipe. I was somehow picturing flat surfaces. The catch basin is a good idea. I actually have several 'basins' in the hollow from giant oaks that Katrina blew over. They are close to the drainage ditch into the pond. Now the wheels are turning.
What a way to reintroduce your 'instant portable structure', just add water. again, thanks.
Any other inputs solicited and welcomed.

BM, I've been trying to figure out for years what these guys meant when they talked about tiles. Now I know.

Now I'm curious about why PVC pipe is called tile.

The original drain tiles were made of clay, very similar to the old fashioned sewer tiles that had a bell on one end so that they could be fit together and packed with oakum and poured lead (yet I digress). The difference, tho, is that the drain tiles had no bells. They are plain ol' clay tubes that were typically 24" long. The trench was dug in the field, often a bed of pea gravel was placed in the bottom of the base, and the clay tubes were placed one-after-the other on top of the gravel. The idea was that as the water moved thru this continuous tube, it could also migrate thru the cracks between each 24" section and leach into the soil. I have one 8" clay tile that feeds my pond project. I found it when we discovered a blow-out just outside the pondsite perimeter.
The down-stream side of the tile got plugged and the water had to get out...this was the result (you can see the hole in the top of the clay tile at the bottom of the crater). We cleaned off the top around this hole: That is an 8" clay tile. We ultimately removed this broken section and I put the digi-camera into the tile, taking flash pics looking up and down-stream. The down-stream was plugged within about 36". The up-stream pic: Clean as a whistle...this thing is carrying some water when she's runnin'.
I got a chance to talk to the owner that grew up on this property since his parents bought it in 1935. He's now 79 years young, living in Tennessee. What a great opportunity...we talked on the phone for about an hour and a half. He told me all about everything that I could possibly think of, including the tile. The main tile was already there when they moved in in 1935...it's been there for awhile, eh?

Good description and pics of "tile" tile, Brettski.

We have them on our place ranging from 4" diameter, 12" long, to 12" diameter, 24" long. In my younger days I picked up a 12" tile and hauled it 1/4 mile by hand - never again. I was whooped afterward as a 12" tile is quite a load.

FYI, the best thing I have found to fix small to medium cracks like the one one show is a piece of old rubber inner tube. It's flexible so it fits the curve well and too tough for running water to tear.

Good stuff, Brettski.
quote by Theo:
"In my younger days I picked up a 12" tile and hauled it 1/4 mile by hand - never again. I was whooped afterward as a 12" tile is quite a load".

this is what he says when the kids get lackadaisical. Also, I walked to school up hill 2 miles in the snow and 3 miles up hill back home.


:p But you're correct. We were a tough breed.

I wasn't tough - wasn't smart, either. I haven't gotten any tougher since, but I do know enough to use a truck or a tractor for shlepping heavy stuff around now (Thanks to my wife - she educated me that a truck bed was supposed to get dirty and scratched, not waxed and polished!).

Theo shares another homeopathic remedy:
Thanks for the tip. After thoroughly examining another of your engineering marvels: ...I beg you no offense as I consider all options that may be available

:p