Simple Water Features: LESS will get You MORE

By Rick Bartel

Landscape Contractor National
March 2007

It is not often in this modern day complex world of ours where less will get you more. Where simple, quick and easy projects can put more profit in your pocket than you could ever imagine. You can spend less time on a project; less money on labor and materials, with fewer headaches for your clients; and increase your profits at the same time. Sound too good to be true? Not anymore! Not with disappearing water features.

A disappearing water feature is a design element that primarily uses the popular and sought after sights and sounds of water movement as its primary focal point without the maintenance issues of an open body of water or pond. These innovative features can take the shape of a fountain; a weeping wall, a waterfall or a stream; that eventually drains or channels the water back into a hidden or underground reservoir. They can range in size from a small interior feature that will fit in a homes foyer; to a raging white-water mountain stream; a hundred feet long; that adorns a subdivision entrance. The underground reservoir can be camouflaged in a number of methods that will blend into any landscape surrounding. Inside, outside; large or small; commercial and residential; if you can imagine it, you can make it happen with a disappearing water feature design.

Disappearing water features have been around for many years. I remember doing our first disappearing feature back in the 1980’s. During that time we had to be innovative and completely design our systems from scratch, using whatever materials we could find and improvise or adapt them to our specialized needs. Several companies made half-hearted attempts at addressing this fascinating aspect of water feature design with a series of components that looked good on paper but didn’t really work that well out in the field. A research and development team that revolutionized the pond industry; with a skimmer so unique, it earned a U.S. Patent; has done it again as it answers the needs of contractors around the globe by significantly changing the way disappearing water features are conceived, designed and installed. Now; a water feature contractor could conceivably install small to moderate sized disappearing water features in less than a day’s time with substantial profits.

These features are quick, requiring a smaller labor force and less time with which to complete most projects. A minimal amount of materials are necessary throughout the installation process, making these systems financially advantageous. The simplicity in their design makes them easy to install with fewer situations to encounter and less training time for your employees. Safety issues are nearly nonexistent since there is no open body of water to deal with and we are probably the closest we will ever get to maintenance free in a water feature application. Nothing is ever completely maintenance free; however; these new systems are so close you won’t even have to concern yourself with maintenance issues.

The basic concept behind a disappearing water feature is to have a small rubber lined underground vault or reservoir that can be used as the holding chamber for the necessary water supply that will feed your system. Inside this reservoir is a well-housing or pump vault that will contain your pump and plumbing components for easy access later, if necessary. This well-housing will then be hidden underground; completely out of sight; where it can supply the aesthetic portion of the feature with the appropriate amount of water needed to properly prime and operate the system. Some manufacturers offer these pond free features in kits that have absolutely every aspect of the system figured for you. The appropriate size of the excavation; system components are properly sized for that particular application; even the size and amount of necessary materials has been calculated. You just simply purchase the correct sized kit that will accommodate your planned project and all of the calculations have been carefully taken care of. These manufacturers even offer accessories and additional components for their kits to further customize your systems, such as waterfall and stream accessories, automatic fill kits and lighting systems.

As with any type or style of water feature; you first need to select a location. This decision will need to take into consideration the size and style of disappearing water feature you wish to install. All three of these issues will be intimately intertwined with one another and a decision should be made jointly in regards to all three elements. Whether you select a fountain that is located over the reservoir, a waterfall that tumbles directly into the reservoir or a stream that meanders along a twenty foot sojourn to a point where it just simply vanishes; size and style will greatly effect the location of your feature.

Once you have selected the size and style of your disappearing water feature and its location has been determined; it is time to begin the excavation process. As always; for safety reasons; before any excavation work takes place; be certain that you verify the location of any underground utilities. A unique aspect of these features is that the excavation is relatively small. The systems that I use require an excavation that is only three to four feet across and only twenty inches deep; for small to moderately sized systems. A small diameter round indentation will be dug in the bottom center of the excavated hole. This will be where you place the pump well for your feature. This indentation will help to stabilize the position of the pump well. If you have chosen a waterfall or stream application in your design, place all of your excavated soil in a location where it can be utilized for the elevational drop in your system.

After the reservoir has been excavated, you simply place the underlayment and liner material in place; completely lining the excavation. You will need to leave approximately ten or twelve inches of liner or more extending outside the reservoir on three sides with all of the excess liner extending away from the reservoir in the direction of your stream or waterfall. Unlike water features with visible open bodies of water such as a pond; it is not necessary to concern yourself with folds and wrinkles in the liner when dealing with a disappearing feature. These folds will be completely hidden from view when the project has been finished. After the liner placement has been completed it’s time to add the components.

Place the pump well on top of the liner and into the indentation at the bottom of the excavation. Install the pump and discharge kit inside the well, according to manufacturers’ specifications and guidelines. At this point you can begin to bury the well with large gravel around its exterior, inside the liner. This is what makes this system so appealing to the public. By filling the reservoir with rock, you have increased the safety factors for families with small children and pets. There is no open body of water or pond to be concerned with; and there is still enough space in and around the rock to provide more than an ample supply of water with which to prime and operate your system.

Once this portion of the feature has been completed, you are ready for the aesthetic part of the project. As mentioned before; a disappearing water feature can take any size, shape or design you could possibly conceive; as long as you have made provisions to adequately control the water so that it can be returned to the reservoir once again.

Up until this point, all disappearing water features are basically the same. It is at this point that designs will fan out in many multi-faceted directions based upon your exact design intentions and goals and/or the wants and needs of your client. Most of the features I have seen recently consist of the pipe running from the pump well up to a waterfall weir where the feature can take the form of a waterfall or a stream. We could not begin to cover all of the possibilities in this one article; however we will take a little time here to hopefully spark some ideas as we look at a few of the design options available.

One particular project that was completed recently for a client that believed she could not have a water feature. There was no adequate space within the bounds of her property for such a feature; or was there? She had spent a lifetime collecting prize roses from around the world and displaying them in her beautifully landscaped garden laced with meandering pea gravel pathways. At one particular point, the pathways crossed in an intersection just large enough for a reservoir basin. The reservoir was completed and then a large antique urn was placed at the center of the intersecting paths. The surface was dressed up with pea gravel so that it appeared to be part of the original pathway. Now visitors are in awe of this beautiful piece of pottery that continually spews forth a never ending flow of water that dances eloquently over the sides of the urn to the ground below. Viewers are left in wonder as to where the water comes from or goes as there are no visible signs of an answer.

This same idea was used in a landscape bed where hardwood mulch covered the ground. A large boulder was used with a hole drilled through it so that water could bubble up in an impressive little fountain and cascade its way over the stone surface to vanish before your eyes. To make this feature disappear into the area, the reservoir surface was covered with mulch laid over a piece of underlayment material, blending it perfectly into its surroundings which stayed wet from the water and left people wondering where the endless supply of water came from. These simple disappearing fountains can really turn heads as they provide the basic aspects desired by your clients; the sights and sounds of moving water.

The same concept can be applied to waterfalls. I have seen relatively small locations easily adapted to a natural appearing waterfall that falls directly into a hidden reservoir. Small homes and condominiums can benefit from this lack of space and still entertain the addition of a water feature. Do not let space; or the lack thereof; dictate whether a client can or can not have a water feature installed. The versatility and the basic design concept of disappearing water features are limitless. An installation is only limited by the amount of space available and your imagination.

The disappearing water feature has addressed all of the important and necessary issues surrounding the likes and dislikes of water feature applications in today’s market place. Your challenge is to mold and manipulate these aspects to your benefit while maintaining a sustainable profit for your business with a satisfied list of clientele.