Lmst

Got my water/utility bill for the spring/summer yesterday. (we get billed 3 times a year as part of our general city utilities bill including water, sewer and garbage/recycling fees).

Figured it would be a big water year this year so I've been wanting to see this. And of course, I have data going back to 2019ish.

Today's bill only goes to August 1st, so it doesn't include when we started to fill the #pondpool!

This was already a dry year in the spring and we were doing lots of watering in the front yard for the new ground cover in the modified driveway and the 3 new fruit trees.

Verdict:
2024: Apr 12 - Aug 7: 122, 200L

2025 Apr 14 - Aug 1 (7 less days!): 136,600L

It will be interesting to see if the August pond filling will add a big chunk onto our summer/fall consumption or if that is offset by both the brief August water restrictions, and the departure of both kids this fall to consume other people's water. ;=)

If you want an indication of how much water people use vs. yards: look at our August 2022 bill, which captures when we were on our cross-Canada roadtrip for 30 days in July/August of the 100 day period.
#water #consumption #gardening #utility #PortAlberni

A bar chart shows blue bars indicating water usage between about 34,000 L in April 13, 2022 and 136000L in August 2025. There is also a green line along the top of the bars indicating cost. From a low of $21.82 for the 4 month period in April 2022 to $120 for August 2025.

Done for the day! Got so much done thanks to the much more mild temperatures (22°C with a breeze!)

Pebble and drain rock are complete in the Bay. Brought the pebble to just below the middle holes around the bin. (There is another row of them a few inches below)

The drain rock up to the larger holes so that larger debris can be drawn into the bin.

I was really hoping to get my big shipment of various sizes of rock/pebble this week but the rock place was too busy for little me. They promised Monday!

All the rock has to be clean to act as a good organic filter (dirt on rock means no space for good water cleaning bacteria to attach!) so I am washing as I go.

I try to wash most of it in the hole itself since then I can direct where it gets pumped out. Today the blueberry 🫐 and flower 🌹 garden was the benificiary. Tomorrow maybe the hazelnut tree 🌳

Still very happy with the progress though. Feel like I'm getting into the meat of the project now!
#pondpool #backyardpond #diy #portalberni

The black bin sits open on top with dirty water, visible inside and pebble all around as it sits in the large rubber line hole

A picture of the blueberry garden. On the right along the ground, you can see the small hose from the dirty water pump coming out of the pond and going into the blueberries.

A little later on now, drain rock has been added above the pebbles. The water is dirty again and being pumped out.

A picture at the end of the day shows the intake bay clean and with some drain rock about 1/3 of the way filling the hole and about 3/4 or more up the sides of the bin. The bin has its blue cover on top. You can see the large hole for the main pond behind and there is a large blue tarp spread overthe ground to the right of the pond. There is a small red chicken hut along the back fence and a large rhubarb patch on the other side.

Cutting of black pipe complete. Now to fill in the Bay with pebble and drainrock. #pondpool #backyardpond #diy #portalberni

A pump sits inside of the yellow crate with a large black pipe attached to top loose fitted. The same kind of pipe is protruding into the front the bottom.

The milk crate has seen in the corner of the main pond with pipe entering and exiting

A view of the main pond and bay with the pipe coming up and out of the pond and down into the bay before exiting the bay towards the filter

A wide angle shot of the three depressions shows all of the going on

By jove.... by complete coincidence I think the hose will be exactly the right length.

Hole is now made in the yellow milk crate for the pipe to attach directly to the inlet and reach down to the bottom of the pond. The rest of the pipe will attach to the outlet on top running up and out.

#pondpool #backyardpond #diy #portalberni

A length of pipe curls down into the bottom of the pond. There is a small yellow milk crate jammed into the corner of the lining.

Milestone!
First cut to length of the quite not cheap 2" supply hose. 😱

These are the scariest moment of this project by far. 😂

I won't be cutting the standing pipe down to size until the wetland filter is full of rock.

Next: The pipe run from the milk crate in the main pond.

#pondpool #backyardpond #diy #portalberni

A picture of me holding the black pipe with the green ratchet pipe cutter secured around the pipe, awaiting the final cut

A tall white pipe with a gray connection and a T in the top protrude from a bit of rocks. They are inside of a large hole. There are two pipes now separated and cut, extending down into the hole and extending back out toward the bay and Pond.

swiss cheesing complete #pondpool #backyardpond #diy #portalberni

A shot from above shows many large and small holes inside of the black bin. They are arranged in a suitably symmetrical manner.

#pondpool #backyardpond #diy #portalberni

Currently turning a very useful and formerly solid box into swiss cheese 🧀 to enable entry of one, and eventually up to two, 2" outlet pipes from the pump(s). This box is both a home for the pump and will act as a prefilter and skimmer. Need maximum inflow from the intake bay of the pond without totally compromising the strength of the box.

I am going to make seven big holes around the top/front and side and then perforate the box with smaller 1/4" holes around the bottom to promote circulation from all parts of the bay.

I will back fill around the box with pebble and 1" drain rock before concealing it with large rocks and flat slate.

A picture of a large black tub with its blue top upside down, leaning against the inside of the hole behind it. Inside the tub is a black pump with a large black pipe attached and a large drill with a red 2 inch hole saw connected to it. Bucket has a number of round holes in the front. Three on top and two on the bottom. The bottom ones are for the pipe to exit the boxaround the box is dirty rubber black liner underneath the box is pebble.

A slightly wider shot shows the box inside of the hole sitting on top of pebble with the large pipe, sneaking out and up the side of the hole. On the left is a separating bank before a larger hole.

Went for a walk around the snowy and slightly frozen yard. Ice is fun.

#pondpool #pandemicpond #portalberni #home #diy

A relatively small pond area is frozen over at the bottom right of the picture. There is fresh snow just a dusting further in the background is a larger pond. Also frozen over they are surrounded with rubber liner. It all looks alittle disheveled

Looking at the larger of the two ponds from the other side, the dusting of snow curves into the smaller bay to the right. The large pond extends from the front of the picture to the back. There is a small hazelnut tree behind the pond on the left. The blue house stance behind everything.

A look at the small lower pond frozen over with a dusting of snow. There are multiple cat prints some look like they were sliding or pine at the ice.

The ice on the upper pond is almost clear.

I unraveled the other bundle of liner in the wrong direction which led to a more huffing and puffing, but, the deed is done!

I shall now continue battling with the rain gods to keep it reasonably empty of water, except to see where overflow points are.

Next: Get a big load of large rock (12-18" stones) to line the inside wall of the pool/pond and start filling the filters of the other two. Also time to think about plumbing design!

Oh! And Mr Arbutus is very happy! #pondpool #backyardProject

Initially, pulling the liner over the hole. The liner troops down partway into the hole.

The finished liner is in and shoved up the side of the hole. The edges are behind with the liner, all flipped over on itself with extra.

Big one is done! Now for the bog filter after I pump the water out and get rid of all of the chestnut tree leaves #pondpool #backyardProject

A long hole is covered in rubber liner. In the background is a tall blue house.

The same hole from the opposite direction shows there is quite a bit of extra liner on the left hand and near side. Better, too much than too little.

A smaller hole lined with fabric and full of leaves with water in the bottom

#pondpool liner is going in!
Wasn't as hard to unroll as I anticipated but hard enough for 200lbs of rubber!
#backyardProject

A large roll of rubber Matt lays partially unfilled in the yard beside a large hole lined with fabric.

The unfilled role lies beside the long hole. It is quite a bit longer than the hole.

Well.. as I was saying a few weeks ago when I started taking down the shed... sometimes you have to make a big mess, before you can clean up the little mess... and also make a bigger mess to again, eventually, have a littler mess.

Here is a Before/After for the weekend!
#BigMess #BackyardProject #PondPool

#pondpool

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