It’s your body of water – a lake, a pond, a stream — or a pain. Property owners may build a pond or lake thinking that because natural lakes and ponds seem to fare well, their water feature will also. Unfortunately, this belief does not hold true for natural or man-made bodies of water.
Every water feature requires attention, whether natural or man-made. Look at the San Joaquin River or the Salton Sea or at local wetland areas, lakes, streams, fountains or ponds. They all experience problem, both seen and unseen. Yet, seen or unseen, all these issues require attention. Counties and states are addressing water conditions in their locales. Are you dealing with your aquatic environmental issues?
By the time a consultation with a professional lake-maintenance company takes place, it is too late to mention how the initial design of a water feature is crucial to proper function. Already turned over to the association, a completed water feature usually cannot be altered. The lake professional accepts this and moves on, but may bring it to your attention as the design (or lack thereof) will affect the functionality. Just as man has toyed with nature, man has toyed with his idea of a “natural” water feature.
Case Study #1
Let’s say your water feature has slimy globs of strange, green matter covering the surface. Huge mats of bizarre grass are floating up from the bottom. The color of the water is pea-soup green. Two pumps have ceased functioning. A large number of fish are either dead or dying. The waterfall is no longer working, and the remaining pump is making weird noises.
You’re facing several different problems all at the same time. First, you may be in shock. Then you might frantically search for “the answer” and become overcome with confusion and frustration. All the “answers” are different. Your confusion and frustration may then morph into anger. Lastly, the realization hits that this is going to be quite costly to repair.
Why has this happened? It’s possible that there hasn’t been any money in the budget to cover treatment or repair, so the water features and everything that makes them run are dying. Or, potentially, after years of having beautiful water features, they are inexplicably going bad. Neither one of these causes is unusual.
There are two solutions. The first is relatively easy, although it does take time. Since you have prepared for this in your budget, you will authorize your lake-maintenance professional to use the additional time needed to treat and remove this alien-like grass. Your professional will have already increased their treatment regimen to eradicate the pea-soup green water, which is actually an algae problem. You will also approve the removal and subsequent replacement or repair or of the pumps as well as authorize the additional expense for new aeration, fish and plants. It will take some time — possibly a month or two — to restore order, but it will get done, and peace will be restored in the complex.
The second solution is to remain in frantic mode, scrambling to find a respectable lake-maintenance company, request a bid, conduct an emergency meeting, hire the new company, give notice to the current company and wait for the appropriate time allowed by the contract. The water features get worse with each passing day. The homeowners who have guests arriving want those water features fixed as swiftly as possible. Complaints abound. The new lake-maintenance company comes on board and advises everyone that this is going to take time to restore and repair. Some will breathe a sigh of relief and accept that explanation, and some will not be as easily appeased.
How to Avoids Pitfalls
In order to avoid those pitfalls, budget and reserve planning coupled with a regularly scheduled maintenance program should already be in place. The lake, pond or stream maintenance provider who implements this program should be a qualified professional. The company should be able to provide proof of experience through verifiable, long-term references. Ask for proof of licenses, permits, general liability, workman’s comp, vehicle insurance and a proven track record. Once you find a company with these validated qualifications, you should be able to trust their suggestions.
You are on the road to fully enjoying your water feature once you hire a company with a good reputation and portfolio. This does not mean that there won’t be problems. It does mean, however, you can expect a prompt and professional response to problems that arise.
Working in conjunction with the person responsible for the management of a water feature along with the board of directors, the lake-management professional not only maintains the water quality, but also brings maintenance and repair issues to the attention of the board, usually through the management company. The management company submits the recommendation for repair to the board for approval, denial or sometimes delay. Herein lies what could, potentially, be another problem.
Don’t Forget the Budget
Many times, the board has hired a reputable lake maintenance company, yet has not budgeted for repairs or replacements for their water features. They feel there are more important issues than the repair of, say, a pump. “There’s another pump, so why do we need to deal with one not functioning?” Rather than consulting with the lake professional, they make a somewhat uninformed decision. This decision could fall under the category of “reserve study” or “deferred maintenance.”
The reserve study has been done. The lake maintenance professional was never consulted about repair costs, what needs to be repaired or replaced, or what has already been repaired or replaced. These costs are never factored into the budget. A pump breaks down, some plants and fish die and the board and/or management company is scrambling to find the funds, as no one realized how costly this was going to be. Or perhaps the maintenance has been deferred, yet the problem still exists. This delay of repairs is to the detriment of the pumping systems and the water.
Case Study #2
One of two pumps is down. The other pump takes on the work of two. Excessive strain on the only operating pump results in the pump running too hot and burning out.
Now both pumps are dead. The water feature no longer functions. Fish are dying due to lack of oxygen. Algae are growing everywhere. Aquatic plants are dying. The stagnant water has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Odors are overwhelming. Complaints about odors, mosquitoes, West Nile Virus, stagnant unsightly water and algae spiral dramatically. This will affect the value of the homes that border the water. Homeowners are angry, and the recipients of their complaints begin feeling aggravated.
Before you call upon a lake-maintenance professional, you must first have taken that body of water and its potential issues into consideration. Including lake maintenance and the cost to cover repairs or replacements in the budget is essential. Once that is in place, you are financially ready to face any problem that may arise.
What to Expect
Too often a lake maintenance company is called in to “resolve” what someone else has done. By the time the call is made, the body of water in question has been neglected, over-treated or even “killed.” The request is usually to “fix it now.”
I have bad news. This is not going to happen. The true restoration or repair of a water feature involves patience and time. The lake professional may need up to two years to re-establish the oxygen levels, fish population, aquatic plants and beneficial aquatic weeds and restore water clarity. I know that this is a long time. But resolving these issues requires patience, regardless of whether this body of water is natural or man-made, patience is needed. It took time for the water to reach its current state, and it will take time for it to repair.
The Bottom Line in Water Feature Maintenance
The proactive solution to this problem is to have a regular maintenance schedule by a professional already in place. This not only avoid stressful cries of help but ensures aggressive treatment of problems within the framework of that schedule.
This is where a good relationship with your lake-management professional built on trust, excellent communication and quick response time comes in. The lake professional has many means by which they can assist in the process of repair. They have the field service technicians who do the physical work. These technicians know the approaches to take in the treatment and restoration of the water and what to do in the event of a float valve, pump, filter, coupling or fill-valve malfunction. Office personnel assist in times of trouble, calm frayed nerves, offer solutions and keep the lines of communication open between the service techs, homeowners, board members and community managers. Your aquatic experts identify emergency situations, know what requires a immediate response and offer proven solutions ready for your approval.
What to Look for in a Lake Maintenance Professional
So, plan for maintenance and repair of your water features by having a budget firmly in place. Hire a lake maintenance company with a good reputation that is licensed, insured, knowledgeable and experienced. Communicate with that company regularly. Everyone needs to keep those lines of communication open among the board, the management company and the lake maintenance company. Listen to the expert advice you have retained.
They are not out to get you. Lake maintenance professionals care about your water features. They want to make them beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. They will do all they can to keep those features going, because they know what is needed to keep the water clean, fresh, free from algae and balanced. Trust your lake maintenance professional to do the right thing. They are, after all, devoted to the beautification of aquatic environments.
About the Author
Patrick Simmsgeiger is the founder and president of Diversified Waterscapes Inc. He is a licensed aquatic pesticide applicator, landscape contractor and certified lake manager. Read more of his articles here.
