Today the Bluegrass GCM Staff completed the short-term repair of the pond leak in the irrigation pond. To the recap a previous post: The pond liner has been postponed until the Fall of this year and this fix completed today is not long-term, but it has the potential to stop or at least drastically reduce the leak in the short-term for a minimum cost. We will be using a product called Bentonite. This product is a clay material that is designed to swell and expand when water is present, potentially clogging the leak.
8,000 lbs of Bentonite Applied in the Suspected Leak Area
Bentonite was applied at a heavy rate in the area suspected to leak and spread evenly across the floor. The second step was to incorporate the material thoroughly into the sub-grade of the floor about 6″ deep.
Tillers Incorporating Bentonite
Last of the process was to compact the sub-floor and vibrate the Bentonite into the any small cracks and pores.
Tamper Compacting Pond Floor
Overall the process went smooth and we feel good about our efforts to slow and possibly stop the leak. Late this afternoon we fired up the transfer pumps to begin to filling the pond. By Wednesday, this week, we should be close to having the water level back to normal and be able to test if the leak was stopped or slowed. Currently the pond leaks about 8″ of water a day and any reduction of this amount would be a victory for our efforts.
Water Flowing From the Transfer Station