5 Signs Your Pond Has a Leak

Every pond loses a little water to evaporation, especially in summer. The trick is knowing when it is normal and when something is actually wrong. Here are the signs worth paying attention to.

1. You are topping off way more than usual

A pond can lose up to an inch a day to evaporation in hot, dry weather. If you are adding water more often than that, or the level keeps dropping no matter how much you add, that points to a leak, not the sun.

2. The level settles and then stops

Here is a useful test. Let the pond drop on its own without topping it off. If it stops falling at a certain point and holds, the leak is right at that level, usually in the stream or waterfall. If it keeps dropping to the bottom, the leak is lower in the system.

3. It is almost never the liner

Most people assume a leak means a torn liner. It rarely does. The usual culprits are the waterfall, the edges of the stream where water sneaks out behind the rocks, or the plumbing connections. The liner itself is the last place to look.

4. Soggy ground or constant runoff nearby

Water has to go somewhere. A persistently wet spot, washed-out mulch, or runoff near one side of the pond is often the leak showing itself outside the water.

5. The pump is running dry or sucking air

If the water drops far enough, your pump starts pulling air. That is hard on the equipment and a clear sign the level has fallen further than it should.

The good news: a leak is almost always fixable once you find the exact spot, and finding it is the real skill. That is what leak detection and repair is for. If your level will not hold, get in touch and we will track it down.