There are several things to consider when designing a fire protection pond. Here, we will discuss how you can identify the best size, shape, depth, and filling for your project.
Our team of pond containment experts at BTL Liners is here to help you understand how to safely and accurately size and fill your fire protection pond. So, you can enjoy your new water feature’s many benefits; from lowered homeowner’s insurance rates to increased property value and fire suppression.
Start with Volume
One of the primary considerations when building a fire pond is identifying the volume of water you need. Before structuring your design, you will want to first find out how much water your pond requires to fight fires. When in doubt, call your local fire department to discuss how much water they would need in your area to keep you safe in the event of an emergency.
Establish Design Parameters
Since fire suppression ponds contain large volumes of water, it is necessary to determine how your pond will be designed in three dimensions.
The square cube law dictates that the amount of volume grows exponentially to that of its exterior edges. This means that it’s easier to increase the overall volume of a pond of any given size by simply increasing its depth.
Filling Your Fire Protection Pond
This is generally considered the most cost-effective method of filling a pond. If you choose to fill your pond with rainwater, you will need 3-4 acres of land to drain into the pond for each foot acre of water in the pond.
The downside to this method is that as the water levels ebb and flow throughout the wet and dry seasons there may be less water available to draw upon for emergency needs.
The other options that can be popular, depending on the location of the pond, include filling with a spring, using wells to pump groundwater, or pulling water from an existing creek.
The most popular method to fill fire ponds that exist in dry, and arid environments is to pump water up from below ground. This method will provide clean, potable water to your pond but at the cost of electricity. A popular way to counter this cost is to install a solar-based system that can utilize the power of the sun in order to keep water pumping into your pond. This can keep water levels in your pond high, making it readily available for emergency responders to utilize year-round while providing the greatest level of safety for your property.
