How Much Maintenance Does A Water Feature Require?

A very important question that many potential water feature owners have prior to making their final decision ways heavy on how much maintenance is involved.  Today the majority of contractors clients have very busy lives between work and family and are not looking to add to that with their new purchase.  As a landscape contractor, I can say with certainty that I hear the phrase "low-maintenance" almost daily in my client interactions.  So let's explore what can be expected when it comes to the maintenance of a water feature.

Water Feature- In landscape architecture and garden design, a water feature is one or more items from a range of fountains, pools, ponds, cascades, waterfalls, and streams...

Low Maintenance

When "low maintenance" is discussed it is first important to get a clear idea of what it actually means to the person asking.  The definition to an avid water gardener is going to be much different than a water garden beginner.Whatever the case water features can be less maintenance than the lawn or garden space that they replace.  With a K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Silly)  approach the owner will spend much more time enjoying their water feature then maintaining it.  Just like many of the components of a home (i.e. furnace, a/c unit, etc.) water features can be low maintenance as long as you know their annual and seasonal requirements and when they should be done.

Annual Water Feature Maintenance 

With water features, there are some things that you will want to do on an annual basis that pertain to maintenance.  Checking the items listed below will increase the longevity of the water feature while helping keep the maintenance low. Here are some things that water feature owners will want to check annually: 

• Equipment Check- Testing the equipment for proper function is key in increasing the longevity of each piece and preventing replacement costs. When each piece is functioning properly the K.I.S.S. approach to maintenance stays on track.
• Edge Check- Most common among lined water features like ponds or streams, the edge check is important in a couple ways.  Edge checks will often prevent leaks before they happen by raising low edges.  With edge checks, you may also be reducing organic material like mulch or soil from getting in the water feature and causing water quality issues.  
• Plant Thinning/Removal-  Aquatic plants in more natural water features like Koi  or ecosystem ponds can take over if not kept in check. An annual reduction in size a great idea to keep the water feature looking good and balanced.
• Fish Health-  If the water feature has fish like Koi it is a good annual practice to add pond salt to provide the ideal environment and support good health.
  
  
  

There are many more things that could easily be viewed as annual maintenance, but since they fall into a particular season I have separated them.  Coincidentally some of the above items fit into those seasonal visits.  Let's take a look at what I mean.

 

Seasonal Water Feature Maintenance

In the Midwest where I am located there is four water feature seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter).  Each season has a slightly different maintenance approach to water features.  For each season I will examine what should be done once a season, daily and weekly.

• Spring Water Feature Season-  In much of the Midwest, this is what pond contractors refer to as water feature cleaning season.  Once the freeze is gone pond contractors will be out cleaning and opening water features.  Cleanings and openings are done once in the Spring season.  During the Spring season once the water feature is up and running the daily maintenance will be to check that the water feature is still running and has water.  Weekly maintenance during the Spring season may be to add water treatments and remove any debris that may have fallen into the feature.    
• Summer Water Feature Season-  For the Summer season in the Midwest maintenance tends to be a bit more laid back than the Spring and Fall.  During this season a good once a season maintenance task would be to do a full system check just make sure everything is working correctly.  If you have water lilies or lotus you may fertilize them monthly in the Summer.  Daily and weekly maintenance tasks will be similar to the Spring season but may increase slightly with the warmer weather.
• Fall Water Feature Season- As the Summer fades and the leaves begin to change colors in the Midwest the daily and weekly maintenance tasks will be similar to the Spring and Summer, but once the leaves drop the amount of time required will increase slightly.  Depending on the type of water feature and the way it was constructed you will need to keep leaves from causing equipment failure and leaks.  Later in the fall most pond contractors will be very actively closing and shutting down water features for the winter.  This will happen once in the fall season.
• Winter Water Feature Season-  A great deal of water features are completely winterized in the Midwest and require no maintenance during the Winter season.  Backyard ponds and pondless waterfalls are sometimes left running and require some daily and weekly attention.  Both will require you to check that things are running and have enough water daily.  Backyard ponds need to have a hole in the ice for gas exchange and fish health.  It is a good practice to check the hole daily for bubbler or aerator function.  During really cold periods a weekly expansion of the hole may be required.

The amount of time spent on the above seasonal maintenance tasks will vary from water feature to water feature.  This is typically because of varying sizes, the location of the water feature, the number of inhabitants, how much equipment there is and even what type of equipment is used.  

While there is undoubtedly a small level of maintenance involved in owning a water feature it is still less than mowing, feeding, aerating, thatching, topdressing, over-seeding and water the lawn that was replaced.  The other great thing about water feature maintenance is that many water feature contractors also have a maintenance program that can reduce the require maintenance work by the homeowner even more.  

Owning a pond, waterfall or fountain certainly doesn't need to be difficult, so be sure to contact us to see what we can do to educate you and set your mind at ease.  For more educational information be sure to visit www.poseidonponds.com or for more inspiration visit our Facebook page and start following us!

Appreciatively Yours,

Cory Mann
"Poseidon Pond Mann"