Rill pond drain debth query

[sonya]

Hello All,

I have an 8.2 foot pond that holds 120 gallons of water. I never planned this properly and built the foundation and walls to the pond before I lay the piping for the drains and overflow.

Can someone tell me - if it would be ok to dig a drain for the water within the inside walls of the pond with a 4 " waste pipe. If this was ok , how far down would I need for the drain to take the water ? Should I lay gravel at the bottom of the drain ?

Thanks in advance

 

[mgmine]

The drain pipe could go inside the pond but it wouldn't look good. A little more information is needed. Since you are using a 4" pipe is it safe to assume that this will only be a gravity drain line with no pump involved? Do you have any pictures?

 

[sonya]

ye it will be gravity fed. Here is the current image of the pond...

 

[mgmine]

Okay to be clear the drain will be a gravity drain and will be used to drain the pond and not circulate any water.

 

[sonya]

thats correct. I want the drain just to drain the water out. I will be using another feed to circulate the water

 

[mgmine]

Okay here is the main issue. Water will seek it's own level so the pond bottom must be higher than where you want to drain. Your pond isn't finished on the sides and isn't that wide so it wouldn't be difficult to dig a little under the bottom to put the drain in and you don't even have to go to the center, a few inches from the side would do. Also a 4" drain is way over kill. I would go with 1 1/2 to 2" maximum and a smaller pipe would make it easier to drill a hole in the bottom too. That would drain it fast enough. The easiest way to drain it would be with a pump. Either the one used for circulation or a simple utility pump. One other thought is that instead of a bottom drain you could put in a drain on the side wall at the bottom edge. You wouldn't get 100 percent of the water out but there would only be a small amount left which could be sucked out with a shop vac.

 

[sonya]

Thats great , thanks for the comments. I will take a look at the pumps and decide which is best for me