Brand new to ponds so please be gentle! 
I need help to figure out what to do with our old pond and rock waterfall. We’re fairly sure it was built around the same time as our 1940 Cape Cod home. We’ve found an old spigot at the top of the rock wall and an underground pipe running to the spigot along a slope next to the pond. We’d love to revive the waterfall and pond but don’t know if we should excavate to see where the old pipe goes and if we could still use it or if we should retrofit it? Is anyone on this site familiar with how the plumbing and mechanicals of ponds in the 1940s worked?
Basic Details
— 5’x5’x18” deep round concrete pond. The pond butts up against a 5’-6’ high stacked rock wall.
— Old spigot at the top and a splash basin about halfway down the wall. There is also a small rectangular opening near the splash basin.
— 16” tall vertical pipe in the pond for overflow. The pond is concrete without a liner but, despite it’s age, doesn’t leak.
More Details
We removed all the dirt from the pond and did a little excavation to see what pipes were where and tried to figure out how it once worked. There is an approximately 1/2”-3/4” dia. pipe about 6” underground that connects to the spigot on top of the rock wall. That pipe appears to run down a slope that wraps around the side of the pond. Unless we tear up that slope, we don’t know where that pipe goes. We found another wider underground pipe that exits from our basement and is aimed directly at the center of the pond which is probably 15’-20’ from the House. That pipe may take a turn and not be related to the pond at all.
We don’t want fish. Plants are nice. A noisy waterfall or fountain to drown out our neighbors swimming pool equipment is great. Cleanish-water and no mosquitos important. Right now it’s full of water with a layer of muck/leaves on bottom and the surface gets covered with green slimy algae. We don’t know if we should drain and clean the pond or scoop out the leaves and muck but leave the water in? In the summer we have lots of leopard frogs that live it in, but baby bunnies and shrews sometimes fall in and drown.
We have no idea what equipment we need for our size pond and to pump the water up 6 feet if we can utilize the waterfall wall feature. We don’t want cheap stuff but aren’t into several thousands of dollars either. Also, as low maintenance as possible.
Any help/advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks! —Gretchen in Minneapolis, MN (Zone 4b)
I need help to figure out what to do with our old pond and rock waterfall. We’re fairly sure it was built around the same time as our 1940 Cape Cod home. We’ve found an old spigot at the top of the rock wall and an underground pipe running to the spigot along a slope next to the pond. We’d love to revive the waterfall and pond but don’t know if we should excavate to see where the old pipe goes and if we could still use it or if we should retrofit it? Is anyone on this site familiar with how the plumbing and mechanicals of ponds in the 1940s worked?Basic Details
— 5’x5’x18” deep round concrete pond. The pond butts up against a 5’-6’ high stacked rock wall.
— Old spigot at the top and a splash basin about halfway down the wall. There is also a small rectangular opening near the splash basin.
— 16” tall vertical pipe in the pond for overflow. The pond is concrete without a liner but, despite it’s age, doesn’t leak.
More Details
We removed all the dirt from the pond and did a little excavation to see what pipes were where and tried to figure out how it once worked. There is an approximately 1/2”-3/4” dia. pipe about 6” underground that connects to the spigot on top of the rock wall. That pipe appears to run down a slope that wraps around the side of the pond. Unless we tear up that slope, we don’t know where that pipe goes. We found another wider underground pipe that exits from our basement and is aimed directly at the center of the pond which is probably 15’-20’ from the House. That pipe may take a turn and not be related to the pond at all.
We don’t want fish. Plants are nice. A noisy waterfall or fountain to drown out our neighbors swimming pool equipment is great. Cleanish-water and no mosquitos important. Right now it’s full of water with a layer of muck/leaves on bottom and the surface gets covered with green slimy algae. We don’t know if we should drain and clean the pond or scoop out the leaves and muck but leave the water in? In the summer we have lots of leopard frogs that live it in, but baby bunnies and shrews sometimes fall in and drown.
We have no idea what equipment we need for our size pond and to pump the water up 6 feet if we can utilize the waterfall wall feature. We don’t want cheap stuff but aren’t into several thousands of dollars either. Also, as low maintenance as possible.
Any help/advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks! —Gretchen in Minneapolis, MN (Zone 4b)
