Water table

[Stephen]

Hi all as in a previous thread I'm new to this and my waterfall was leaking but all sorted now.
Now I have a new problem. After all the wet weather in sunny Manchester my garden is water logged and my pond has big bubbles in it and some of the shelves have eroded away under the liner due to the amount of water under my liner. I am going to have to rip it out and start again. Not a problem but what is the best way to combat the high water table. Build the pond up above the.ground and still use liner or build Brick walls and a concrete Base render them and then paint it with pond paint or similar? If anyone could point me in the right direction it would be appreciated

Thanks in advance

Steve

 

[addy1]

I would build it above ground, build a structure and use your liner. Check the construction threads there are some above ground builds there that will help you out.

I have never done one.

 

[DrCase]

6 " above ground level makes a big difference

 

[jlp152]

We had the same problem and we ended up getting sand bags and lined the perimeter of the pond with them 2 bags high and then pulled the liner up over the sandbags & filled up the pond.The added height worked wonders,we had a bubble in the liner maybe a day after we filled the pond but it disappeared and liner has stayed down ever since

 

[Dave 54]

We have a free standing pond with only the bottom drain bellow ground so we dont get that problem .
It may well be that the water table has pushed up undernealth the pond and may now be trying to push the bottom of the pond upwards towards the ponds surface .

Dave

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Above ground, partially above ground....either. I would recommend the use of concrete blocks for support walls for the liner.

 

[addy1]

The sand bags would work well, or block, most of my bog's wall is supported by a dirt berm, around 8 feet above ground level. We are on a steep slope

 

[mgmine]

If it's the water table then building it above ground is the only option. However since the shelves are getting washed away it sounds more likely that water is seeping in through the top edge and going down the sides. If that is the case then you can pull the liner up along the edge and put dirt behind it and lay it on the dirt. What you want to happen is to have the liner edge higher than the surrounding area and pitch the ground away from the pond. A few feet around the pond should do it. Hopefully there is enough extra liner to bring the edge up.

 

[Mmathis]

We have a high water table. I had to do a major rebuild a couple of years ago because of the water table issue along with [a more urgent issue] the fact that we have clay soil which caused shifting and side-wall collapse.

As several others have mentioned, your only long-term solution is to build UP enough that your water level stays above ground level, or at least AT ground level. The weight of the water will keep the liner in place. I went about 12" above grade [as extra insurance].

Some people have successfully used timbers to elevate the side walls, but I don't trust our soil. I looked at a construction technique that a lot of koi pond owners use called a concrete "collar." You can Google that. Mine was a retro-fit job and I used concrete blocks, rebar, and ready-mix concrete. So far, after 2 years and LOTS OF RAIN, it's holding.

 

[4Hummer]

Concrete Collar

 

[Mmathis]

@4Hummer Thank you! A picture really IS worth a thousand words!

 

[4Hummer]

If that picture is worth a 1000 words, This one is worth 10,000: Here is how to make the form. Doesn't have to be pretty, as its covered up anyway. Stakes Plywood and rebar.

 

[Mmathis]

@4Hummer LOL, if "pretty" was a requirement, I would get a D-.