Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Building a dam Leak

I knew it was bound to happen in one of 3 spots on my pond. It happened. There is a pipe running threw the dam. Not sure the reason unless it was a old overflow or something but its about 1 foot lower then the pond level. It goes threw the berm or dam then ends just even with the grass. I am trying to solve the leak without digging everything up. Anyone have any Ideas

Any idea what the diameter of the pipe is or what it is made of? Once you get that information, I may be able to help you figure out a way to make a plug you can take off when you need to.

I think youre gonna hafta dig and put something on the pipe to stop the flow.I forget what its called but its kinda like a little wall to stop the water crawling down the pipe.I AINT no expert so wait,someone will be along and get you straight.

I will measure today. It looks like 4 inch black or gavinized pipe. The water side is all pitted but the grass side that is buried feels smooth and in tact. I have to dig it out a little and get a good measurement.

Joey:

For clarification, the leakage is around the pipe, not through the pipe, right?

My first thought would be dig down in a couple of places and install anti-seep collars (like I think Tom was thinking). I would have the best, moist-enough clay I could get ready ahead of time for repacking after the collar was placed. My second thought would be to get a real experienced dirt guy to do it, in case it turned out to be worse or trickier than I thought. You are dealing with saving the entire dam (and pond) here from possible loss.

One more idea. Lowering the pond level so the pond-side of the pipe is above water ahead of time might be a very good idea, so there was less/no water moving along the seep while work is being done.

Just checked some things. I wanted to see if its seeping on the outside or threw or a combonation. I put a big plastic bag over the pipe in the water and it did suck in. I can not tell iff it is seeping around the pipe. I dug out a little on the dam side and the pipe looks to be 3 inch ID but there is some sort of coller on it. The pipe feels pretty pitted. Its all muddy and hard to really get a good idea of whats going on.

Theo, I dont have a way to lower the pond... I made a mistake when I made it bigger last year by not adding a way to lower the pond. If I ever get lucky enough to build a new pond I will definatly have a way to lower the water if I need to.

I guess at this point I will read up all your guys ideas and mess with it when the weather warms in 3 days. Its real cold here right now but by thursday it will be good to try to fix this thing. Its been seeping for a while but now I catorgarize it as a leak. what a PIA

If it is leaking threw the pipe, is there something that I can shove in there that will expand and seal it. Problem is its very pitted and bumpy so I dont think one of those rubber type plugs will do it. Looking forward to some ideas. Thanks

Joey, you could always use a temporary siphon over the top of the dam to lower the level. IIRC, one can be put together using relatively inexpensive corrugated black plastic pipe.

Another thought for lowering the level, if you end up wanting to. If the water is going through the pipe and isn't supposed to be, there must be a valve or plug or cap or something that is stopping most of it. Or am I not getting the picture? If this block could be removed, the water level should go down to the bottom of the pipe entrance.

The water has been going over the regular over flow untill last week, so how ever this pipe has been holding back the water has been working until about last week. The siphon would work, I hope I can stop it with some sort of plug. I will get busy on it prob wednesday. The correct way would be to lower the pond, take this pipe out and redo the dam... then I am talking machines and contractors and money... Hopefully can figure something so it dont get to that point.

Not sure what you are trying to do.

If you want to seal up the 3 inch pipe, push in old pair of blue jeans, in the pipe as far as you can then get a some secrete mix it up and fill up as much as possible.

OTTO

We had to do the similar thing years ago to repair a beaver den that had been burrowed into the dam face, we had to lower the water level two feet to get the repair done.

Joey, you have several options available. All the thoughts from the other guys are good. To plug the pipe will work but for how long. If it is leaking around the pipe is a different problem. You can plug the pipe and use some colored dye that will tell you where your leak is really at. If you can spend a little money, I think the best thing is to lower the level with the temporary siphon below normal pool level, then let it dry out. Then install a permanent siphon system through the dam at the water level, illustrated on http://www.ponddampiping.com. This gives you a drain that works on its own and takes the dead water off of the bottom of the lake. You can use sdr35 pipe for your siphon system that is inexpensive. This way would require less dirt work and you keep the integrity of the dam there. You would only dig down to you desired water level. The siphon system would require at least 4' fall from the inlet to the exhaust end. Hope this helps.

Joey...
Most home centers sell black rubber caps with a strap clamp you can use. Or you can do the next best thing. Use the jean plug that Otto talked about. Then make a wood form to go around the opening to take away some of the water pressure and put in some of the red bags of Quickrete. That fast setting concrete sets in 45 minutes and it doesn't need to be mixed before you put it in a hole. If you want to premix it, you can use regular concrete. Just let the water go down inside the form a little if you can before you dump it in.

PDP Guy...
I thought it was a 4 foot drop from the top of the syphon to the outlet. The real momentum from a syphon is generated by the gravity pulling the water downhill from the peak and not from the inlet. Is my logic wrong on this?

Otto, I was thinking something like that to try to stop the leak. This may sound dumb but do i shove the blue jeans down the pipe on the water side or the side at the edge of the grass. I will get a rubber cap to. I will try this route first if this dont work then I will have to draw the pond down and put something that PDP might suggest.

On wednesday I will get into it. I have read someplace to use milk to find the leak. I am hopeing it is just a matter of stopping up the pipe....but your all right for how long. Well see what happens wednesday.

Here is a little vid so you can see what the prob is. Dont look like much flow but its at least 2 to 4 gallons a miniute.
Leak Vid

Put the blue jeans in at the top as far down as you can get them, this is to stop the cement from going all the way to the bottom of the pipe.

when the leak is only 5 gpm I consider that a great success.

ezylman, you are correct in that sense, however for the non pond builder, or the do it yourselfer, we recommend this way as a general rule of thumb just to make sure there is the drop needed for the siphon to work. Most of the time shooting the levels with a laser will not be done by non pond builders.

Joey...
It is hard to tell from the video if the water if coming from just inside the pipe or around it as well. I suggest to go ahead and do the plug like Otto and I suggest and see if it still is leaking. Another option that I just thought of that you could try, is spray foam insulation. I don't know if it works underwater though. I guess it would only cost you $10 to find out. If you need to stop a leak that is running down the OUTSIDE of the pipe, you can make a pretty effective anti seep collar with some shower pan rubber, plywood, and cement. You would need to excavate a hole about 3 feet wide across the pipe, 1 foot thick, and down to get a foot or two below the pipe. Build a concrete form around the pipe. Wrap the pipe with the rubber INSIDE the form nice and tight and staple it to the plywood to keep it in place and then pour a concrete antiseep collar. Once it dries, fill in around the whole thing and just leave it in place. Buried plywood is good for 5-10 years or 20-30 if you get pressure treated. When the wood rots, the concrete and rubber will still be held in place so the leak shouldn't reappear.

OK, the first plan will be to try to stop the leak hopeing it is going threw the pipe. If I can get it stopped enough I will try cementing in the grass side also. If that dont work...I may be wanting to loower the pond, either take it out compleatly or do the drain with the valve that PDP guy suggests, that would be very hand to have.