Yes, you can absolutely use pond liners in an aquaponic food bed, so long as they are rated as food or potable water safe. The water that flows through your food bed will be directly absorbed used by both the plants and the roots in your system, so you’ll need to be absolutely strict about using any product that may leach chemicals or other dangerous compounds into your water. Even if it releases questionable chemicals “within acceptable levels” to qualify as fish-safe, you’ll want to remember that the water in your system is circulated constantly and is virtually never changed. Repeated exposure to even mildly questionable materials can build up dangerous levels of toxins over time. Besides, you’re not fish, are you?
There are many advantages to choosing NSF certified pond liners, especially in applications like this that have direct exposure to fish and plants being consumed by you and your family. Not all liners hold this certification, which guarantees that the product meets all of the regulatory requirements of the U.S. and Canada and is safe for use in drinking water. However, BTL offers several pond liners that are NSF certified for use in drinking water and as fish and plant safe. Take a look at AquaArmor pond liners at btlliners.org and notice the blue “certified to NSF/ANSI 61” emblem on each of our products. These liners are lightweight, durable, easy to work with, and 100% safe for food and drinking water, making them ideal for aquaponics applications.
