Understanding Old Pond

[davidleal]

Hi all.

Our family bought a new place last year that had a round pond that seems to have been unattended for decades. It seems to be fiberglass, but unsure exactly. The placement of the pond poses a risk for our little one and we're looking to remove it entirely. See below:

In the process, I have drained the pond using the pond pump and respectfully rehomed all the frogs that were living in it.
After removing the wildlife, I proceeded to clean out the falling debris, along with the hydro plants that had rooted beyond their baskets, to find a ton of crushed rock, a non-used side pipe and a white PVC pipe that I don't know what's for (right in the center).

My ultimate goal is to dispose of the pond, and I'm wondering if someone can help me understand a couple of things:

1. What's the white PVC pipe in the middle?
2. I've noticed some water discharge from a black corrugated pipe to the house sump-pump while raining (angled in the pond direction), I'm sure there is an overflow control from the pond, but where does it come from?
3. Under the crushed rock, I found black corrugated plastic which I thought to be the liner, but the more I dug, the more it seemed like different corrugated pipes (similar to the one discharging to the sump-pump).
4. Can I just hit the sides with a sledgehammer without compromising water discharge and groundwater saturation?
5. How can I perforate the bottom of the pond in order to let the soil drain the water?

Thank you in advance!

 

[GBBUDD]

1. looks like a main drain with the flange and your missing the insert screen

2. Great idea if you have lots of ground water that's clean yo pump it to a pond and never have to fill the pond with tap or well water.
4. if you truly want the pond gone but it is a discharge for your sump. I'd drill out the bottom with lots and lots of holes minimum of 1/2" so they dont clog, and fill the depression in with 3/4"stone this will basically create a dry well like for your sinks and washers. if you fill with dirt you could back up into the house or make a permanent mud puddle

 

[j.w]

@davidleal

 

[sissy]

I have seen that here and it was used as a pond area that collects water from a flood area of the yard .They had their gutters draining to it also .Have you checked to see if your gutters are connected to a black pipe like that .I did that with my gutters also so I can keep water from my gutters on the property .When there is a dry time of the season that area is always green .I put an underground tank that holds the water that I can access from above ground and this way I can use the water in the tank

 

[davidleal]

1. looks like a main drain with the flange and your missing the insert screen

2. Great idea if you have lots of ground water that's clean yo pump it to a pond and never have to fill the pond with tap or well water.
4. if you truly want the pond gone but it is a discharge for your sump. I'd drill out the bottom with lots and lots of holes minimum of 1/2" so they dont clog, and fill the depression in with 3/4"stone this will basically create a dry well like for your sinks and washers. if you fill with dirt you could back up into the house or make a permanent mud puddle

1. Where does the main drain connect to? Would there be an underground system connected to it?

2. I'm thinking that this was the other way around, where the pond discharges overflow to the sump-pump.

3. Wondering what the bottom would look like, would it be fiberglass or the same material as the round structure?

Thanks again for your reply!

 

[GBBUDD]

a main drain gets hooked up to a pump.

I have never seen a pond with a sump pump but if it was in a low spot its possible the creator would have added
one

the only way to see what your bottom looks like is to dig. there is no This Is How Y ou Must Build Your Pond. You need to do the leg work to find out.

Easy solution Hire a professional rent a excavator and RIP it out fill the area with stone cover over with soil plant grass.

 

[Phaewryn]

The way the gravel is indented under the pipe worries me: It looks like water has been flowing into the pond from that pipe. Are you absolutely sure that your house's gutter system isn't hooked up to that pipe? If not, you need to find another way to redirect your gutters before you can remove this pond. OR, you could just fill the entire pond with a LOT of gravel, that way the kid can't fall into it but it can still be a reservoir for your gutters (but with much less capacity, so you may want to really research annual rainfall in your area before deciding).

 

[sissy]

major problem is if you cut off the way the water is coming in you may end up with more problems than you want .Like flooding in your basement or damage to your foundation .Down here they do that a lot because of heavy rains .My gutters all have black corrugated pipe leading away from the house to either my dry well or to the front yard .Reason for front yard is because I am up on a hill .My sister has a sump pump that drains to a gravel area that is lined and filled with rough gravel because her yard is flat and lower than the property around her .Lots of people who have drainage problems in their yards do that to save the house from damage .Did you check with the county or history of the house with flooding and did you have a home inspection .

 

[poconojoe]

Yeah, I'm thinking it was never a pond at all. Maybe just a drywell for water that's directed away from the house.
When I had my house built I had the excavator guy dig a hole and fill it with stone creating a drywell. I have the French drain all along the walls of my basement and perforated pipes around the whole outside perimeter of the house. All of that feeds into that drywell he dug. He said it was overkill and in my area I really didn't need it, but hey at least it's all under there. To do it later would be a hassle.