Pond Pumps

A video transcript featuring Joseph Huettl, Huettl Landscape Architecture

For many of our water features, we step up to a really sophisticated filtration system. This particular model is a fluidized bead filter, and it involves a swimming-pool-type system where you'd have an external pump and a leaf basket and then a large, pressurized filter. In this case it's fluidized bead, and then we have a UV light for water sterilization. It keeps the green water from occurring, and then it goes back to the pond.

System maintenanceThe key of this system is a multiport valve, which allows the homeowner to do a simple backwash and backflush of the system without having to pull the system apart. To clean the filter, all they need to do is clean the leaf basket, which involves a little bit of mess but it's fairly straightforward. And then they just turn off the pump, turn it to backwash, turn the pump on, let it backwash for a minute or two, and then turn it all off. Turn it back to flow, and they're done. They don't have to pull out the filter or anything like that.

Water qualityWith the combination of the bio-bead filter and the UV light, the water quality in the pond stays quite high, to the point where human contact with water - if people want to wade in the pond -- it's actually possible on a hot day that they can put their feet in there. There's not really going to be pathogens in the water because of the UV filtration.

Although this type of filtration system adds several thousand dollars to the project, for a lot of people it's worthwhile because in the long run, it's very easy to maintain, and the water quality usually stays crystal clear with a water-filtration system like this.