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Joined: Apr 2017
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Wilbur Offline OP
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I'm new to the forums and looking for knowledge regarding pond repair. I've located property with a spring fed pond that is just under an acre in size that I'm thinking of purchasing. The pond has been there for a very long time. Within the past 2 years there was a repair made to it due to a failed overflow pipe made of galvanized steel which had rusted through, dropping the pond level significantly. The vertical pipe had an elbow with the remainder going through the dam horizontally. It is a deep dam and appears well maintained. At this time the pond is full and based on the aquatic growth I see it has been full for some time now. The old pipe must have been plugged but at this point I don't know by what means. On the opposite side of the dam the old pipe has a trickle of water exiting (very very little). There is new plastic piping acting as an overflow that was placed in the upper portion of the dam, close to the surface of the pond, running horizontally through the dam, draining to the far right side of the dam with a strong flow into a bed of rocks. It seems to match the inflow from the spring fed stream entering the pond. I've fished plenty of ponds but never owned one. Does this repair sound common and proper? Should the trickle of water coming from the old pipe be a concern?

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Did the previous owner describe exactly how the repair was made? If the water coming from the old drain is from the inside of the pipe, I doubt I would spend the money to stop all flow. If it exits from the outside, and alongside the old drain pipe, erosion is happening and a complete breach will occur eventually (may be a week or many years from now) As long as the replacement pipe shows no signs of water travelling alongside the pipe, and flow is only through the new pipe, I'd enjoy your new pond, as is!



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Wilbur Offline OP
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The question about how it was plugged is one I have on the list. I'll find out and post.

The trickle of water appears to be coming from the inside of the old pipe. I don't see any erosion around the exit area. I plan on taking a few more looks to verify.

Thanks for the response!

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Wilbur Offline OP
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I found out that the contractor who did the work ended up digging into the dam until solid pipe was found. The pipe was cut back and then capped on the pond side with some sort of cover & clamps and the void in the dam was re-packed. The plastic corrugated drain pipe put in at water level to replace the old overflow dumps water to the far edge of the dam so the back side of the dam doesn't erode. The work was completed in 2016.

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I've been dealing with a leaking pond for about a year and a half. It's not worth it. There should not be any water coming through the old pipe if it was properly repaired. Personally, I would let it go unless I was prepared to deal with that pipe again.

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Wilbur Offline OP
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I ended up passing on this property for now. If the old drain pipe is fixed satisfactorily I would reconsider. I visited the back of the dam for a second time a few days ago and found that the single trickle of water coming from the repair had turned into four. Not a good sign. I expect that at best the pond will leak sufficiently enough during drought that its levels will be unacceptable.

I find it odd that the pipe was capped instead of filled with cement. It must have come down to $$$$. There's a cap at both ends and with that pipe leaking I suspect it's only a matter of time before the pipe inside the dam corrodes and is breached due to the back pressure. Then the dam will start eroding and eventually lead to complete failure. What a shame for such a beautiful property.

I've posted a link to a pic of the outlet side. There's a small pipe near the center of the repair that must have been intended to allow water to pass through in the event the pond side leaked (which it does). I think that outlet cap was possibly welded in place.... not sure...



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