Every gallon lost from a groundwater storage pond represents wasted energy and a reduced volume available for irrigation or drinking water. Proper pond design is necessary for reliable storage that prevents water loss from seepage and evaporation alike. Seepage occurs when water travels through the gaps between particles of soil or clay in naturally lined ponds. Flexible, polymer pond liners are much less porous and permeable, reducing seepage to practically nothing with proper installation. Match the right liner to your intended use with these notes about controlling water loss.
Potable Water Liners
Make sure to choose a liner specifically approved for potable water use if that’s your goal for the stored groundwater. Since drinking water supplies are often tightly managed, choosing a natural pond liner can result in extensive losses on a daily basis due to seepage. It’s hard to recapture this lost water because it often travels to a different fracture or space than the water table you’re tapping with your pumps and wells. Instead, hold onto every gallon you pump with an impermeable and flexible liner.
Optimizing Usage
With an average daily use of 82.3 billion gallons of fresh groundwater across the entire United States, there’s plenty of opportunities to optimize use and reduce waste. Every gallon saved for future use reduces energy use and related costs for the business owner. Even concrete can’t compete with flexible plastic liners when it comes to controlling seepage and loss. Concrete cracks after just a few years of use, leading to small leaks that slowly add up over time. For the most control over how much water you lose after pumping, stick with a multi-layered RPE liner that is tear resistant and highly durable.
Simplifying Dredging and Cleaning
Almost all of the possible uses for groundwater storage ponds eventually require dredging and cleaning to keep the water quality high and appropriate for use. This is especially true for potable water supplies, but even irrigation ponds and recreational swimming and fishing areas eventually need dredging. The process involves scooping up any muck, sediment, and sunken material gathered at the bottom of the pond. This restores the original water depth and preserves quality by reducing tannins and dissolved solids. Flexible pond liners create a clear and puncture-resistant barrier that makes dredging faster and easier.
Covers for Evaporation
When keeping every last gallon of a small groundwater is essential to stretch a small supply, covers are essential in slowing down the evaporation process. Both wind and sun contribute to the speed of evaporation, but proper placement and shade can only control these effects to a certain extent. Solid covers made from materials like BTL Liners’ ArmorCover are easy to install, and can be sealed to the liners around the edges, for a system that loses as little moisture as possible.
Storing groundwater requires more than just a hole in the ground. Raw soil and even clay liners aren’t designed to minimize seepage enough for most potable or irrigation water supplies. Maintain high water quality while preventing unnecessary losses by working with BTL Liners to find a custom liner solution.
