Old neglected pond doesnt hold water

[Loren]

I’m fixing up 110-year-old house with a pond and fountain that I’ve been told hasn’t been up and running in 30+ years. This winter I filled it with water to see what would happen and it drained out completely by the next morning. The bottom is dirt with loose rocks and the sides are concrete and stones with visible small gaps. I also poured water through the top of the fountain using a hose to see if it came out the bottom and it did. I know I’ll have a lot of future questions on how to set up a filtration system and get the fountain working but for now I just want help getting the thing sealed properly. I plan on doing all of the work myself just as I have on all the major home renovations. I’m not planning on introducing fish because I had a working Koi pond at another home and I know I don’t have time to upkeep all of that. I live in the south with humid summers and some ice in the winter if that matters.

 

[j.w]

and welcome @Loren
Must be a cement bottom too I assume. I don't have experience w/those kind of ponds so I'll leave that for someone else to reply. Nice looking pond, hope you can fix it!

 

[Loren]

Thanks. I hope I can repair it. It’s dirt bottom for some odd reason. Maybe it was once concrete and stone but no longer.

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome! What a lovely setting!

 

[Loren]

Thank you. Old wraparound porch overlooks it too. They’re the reason I bought the house. I don’t want to just put in liner and cement over because I like the stone. This pond is in pictures from 1913 when house was built. Very special. Their dog in the picture. even looks like mine

 

[combatwombat]

Hopefully some others will be along with suggestions, but if the feature was constructed in the early 1900s and you're married to the look, you may find yourself very carefully deconstructing and rebuilding.

 

[cas]

What a pretty water feature. I hope you can get it up and running. Welcome to the forum.

 

[Loren]

Hopefully some others will be along with suggestions, but if the feature was constructed in the early 1900s and you're married to the look, you may find yourself very carefully deconstructing and rebuilding.

I could be wrong but I don’t think the current structure is that old. It looks like it’s been updated but I do know the original pond was in that location and it looks like the same shape and size.