Pump To Drain A Pond

[jubby]

We have a typical pond/Reservoir about 20m x 10M which we dug on request from the father-out-law about 10 years ago everyone seemed to be doing it at the time. He kept some fish the first year , but I think they ate each other or someone stole them or something; anyway, It has water all year around but has been pretty useless. I've just opened it up so the Cows can drink from it so we don't need to pump so much Drinking water. I'm thinking it could do with draining and cleaning when the rain season ends.

Whats the best type of pump to do this with. I Guess its down to litres per minute but I have seen various types of pump.

Some sort of Tube which looks like a Tank Gun and is powered by an e-tok thai tractor seems popular, I've also seen standalone pumps fitted to a 6hp petrol engine and a small electric sump type pump which is completely immersed.

[Gary A]

I've got one that runs off a belt from a mechanical buffalo (Kubota) I was amazed when I saw how much water it can pump at just above idle speed. It is a 4 inch outlet pump. The stream of water out of the pump is a full 4 inches in diameter. It wasn't spraying with a lot of pressure but it filled up a rice paddy in a couple of hours.

Added - It is a centrifugal pump and not the auger type you are referring to. It has a long drive shaft inside a tube that allows the entire pump head to be submerged. I forget what it cost but it wasn't very expensive.

Edited October 4, 2007 by Gary A

[Somtham]

I've got one that runs off a belt from a mechanical buffalo (Kubota) I was amazed when I saw how much water it can pump at just above idle speed. It is a 4 inch outlet pump. The stream of water out of the pump is a full 4 inches in diameter. It wasn't spraying with a lot of pressure but it filled up a rice paddy in a couple of hours.

Added - It is a centrifugal pump and not the auger type you are referring to. It has a long drive shaft inside a tube that allows the entire pump head to be submerged. I forget what it cost but it wasn't very expensive.

On occasion we use the tube pumps also. The one I bought has a 5" diameter tube and is 8 feet long. There's a propeller attached to the end of a shaft and we drive it with a 5.5 HP Honda. The rice farmers all use the same type of pump with their Kubotas. It moves a lot of water...fast. So if you're just going to pump the water over the dyke and don't need to elevate it more than a meter or so I suggest you use one of these pumps. Last year we bought one and paid B1500 for the pump without a drive source.

regards

[chownah]

The tube pumps as mentioned are the most efficient method as far as I know. I'm wondering why you want to drain the pond....there is no reason why a pond needs to be drained every so often nor is there a reason it needs to be cleaned out....unless you have something particular in mind....at least I have never heard of a reason to drain and clean a pond every once in a while....I have an irrigation pond and I don't plan on ever cleaning it out....maybe I should....don't know.

Chownah

[jubby]

Hi Chownah,

I've dug a couple of paths down to the water for the Cows to drink from it. I've been pumping water from a well up until now for them, I was thinking it would be more healthy for the Cows if I drained it especially after 10 years. Maybe my concern is unfounded , what do you think ?

[chownah]

I think that as long as the water is clear then its probably ok....but I'm no expert on cows thats for sure...I'm hoping someone who knows about cows gives their opinion. Around where I live the ponds all have water that stays fairly clear because of the hydrogeology of the area. I suppose that some ponds in other places might not have a natural seasonal turnover of the water and it could be very stagnant...and this could be unhealthy for cows. It might be best to ask some local people about your pond specifically.

I guess I've been assuming that all ponds stay as clear as the ones in my neighborhood....which of course is not the case.

Chownah

Edited October 5, 2007 by chownah

[jubby]

I think that as long as the water is clear then its probably ok....but I'm no expert on cows thats for sure...I'm hoping someone who knows about cows gives their opinion. Around where I live the ponds all have water that stays fairly clear because of the hydrogeology of the area. I suppose that some ponds in other places might not have a natural seasonal turnover of the water and it could be very stagnant...and this could be unhealthy for cows. It might be best to ask some local people about your pond specifically.

I guess I've been assuming that all ponds stay as clear as the ones in my neighborhood....which of course is not the case.

Chownah

[jubby]

I suppose the water does look fairly clear, and thinking about it, I guess most of the water does get renewed every year due to the long dry season. I think I'll give it the smell test. There are lots of branches & bamboo sticking out of it so I think I will still drain it at least once and give it a tidy. I was also toying with the Idea of draining it in the dry season to flood an area and give some much needed grass. Maybe I just need to hire one for the day.

[ozzydom]

I use a 6inch x 24foot 2 stage long-tail pump on the Kubota iron buffalo, they pump a lot of water in short time as long as you dont want to push the water very high, ideal for emptying ponds and irrigation..

If there were originally fish in the pond there are probably still small shrimp , the bottom will be pretty heavy in ammonia ,so to get a good a good clean water resevoir it would probably pay to pump down ,let it dry out then add lime to help purify the sediment before refilling..

[chownah]

I suppose the water does look fairly clear, and thinking about it, I guess most of the water does get renewed every year due to the long dry season. I think I'll give it the smell test. There are lots of branches & bamboo sticking out of it so I think I will still drain it at least once and give it a tidy. I was also toying with the Idea of draining it in the dry season to flood an area and give some much needed grass. Maybe I just need to hire one for the day.

You might find someone who will drain the pond in exchange for whatever fish they can get from it....otherwise I would think that two or three hundred baht would be enough to pay to have such a small pond pumped out....do remember though that if you do this during the dry season the pond might not fill up until the rainy season....so you will have to once again pump water for the cows....maybe it would be better to pump it out before the dry season comes....depending of course on the groundwater situation where you live.

Chownah