Retention pond fountains are popping up everywhere in Greenville SC and Charlotte NC.  Fountains can create a “wow” factor at an HOA’s entrance, spraying water 20 feet into the air and illuminating the area at night.  The sound of water splashing in the background on the 9th hole of your favorite golf course seems to create a persona of wealth and prosperity.

Water has always been at the center of towns, cities, and civilization.  Bodies of water flowing symbolize a city’s life.

Has anyone ever stopped to think why the neighborhood or the nearby golf course has a fountain?

Do fountains prevent algae and aquatic weeds?

How much does it cost to run every day?

Who is paying for the power bill?

For the past decade, we at Platinum Ponds & Lake Management have been asking this question whenever someone has contacted us to install or repair a floating fountain in a retention pond or lake.  We have seen all the different types of fountains in catalogs. We have even been contacted by manufacturers who want to sell their version of the “best” fountain.

What we have found out is quite surprising.  Not all fountains are created equal.  Just because a fountain is only $899 does not mean that it is comparable to a Vertex or Otterbine fountain, which starts at $5k.  In fact, if it is in a catalog, it’s more than likely a piece of junk.  Don’t believe us?  Then check out the warranty or how long the company has been in business.  

Click here to see fountain pricing.

Companies today in big box stores are constantly changing vendors or product line names to avoid warranty returns.

• We believe that every pond should use bottom aeration instead of fountains.  

To be the best steward of water possible, we do NOT sell fountains.  Why?

In a nutshell, they are 95 percent “bling” factor and do little for the ecosystem of your pond or lake. If you are interested in some facts before you rush into buying a fountain for your HOA or retention pond, here they are:

• A commercial floating fountain is expensive to purchase.

The average commercial fountain costs around $ 5,000 and can cost $20k+ per fountain.  A manufacturer like Otterbine will give a five-year warranty with such a fountain, but the manufacturer, not the dealer, must perform the work. If the work is performed outside of the manufacturer, you may lose your precious warranty.  They will suggest a local dealer who can arrange for contractors to install such a fountain for you.

• A commercial floating fountain is expensive to maintain.

We talked to an HOA with million-dollar homes that had two Otterbine fountains in its 1-acre retention pond.  They told us that over the past eight years, they had shipped their fountains back to Florida for repairs numerous times. In fact, while standing at the pond’s edge, both fountains were broken again.

The same story, just repeated last week at a nearby college, where they had to wait two months for the fountain to be fixed and back in the pond, running again. Who wants to get a boat, retrieve a fountain, load it in a truck, and deliver it to the distributor? The distributor ships it to the manufacturer, and then has your fountain wait in line to be worked on, only to reverse the whole process again.

One thing we do not want our monthly members to be dealing with each year is us charging them for a fountain that keeps breaking.  We cannot bring ourselves to sell something to members who trust us and know will break regularly.

• A commercial floating fountain consumes too much power

The average $8000 fountain consumes $500 a month in power.  This is why they have timers. Even after just running the fountain for 6 hours a day, you can expect to pay $250 per month to the power company.  So, do you choose to run it during the day or at night because you upgraded the fountain with lights?

• A commercial floating fountain does NOT solve algae or aquatic weed problems.

Countless people contact us to purchase a fountain to solve their algae or aquatic weed problems. The truth is, they don’t solve the problem.  In fact, fountains can make it worse.  This is precisely what happened to the HOA with million-dollar homes and two large fountains.

Floating fountains only circulate water from the top 3 ft of the water column and do little to affect the thermocline, unless upgraded with a draft tube. Even then, they can only circulate the water in a small circumference of the fountain itself.  Without proper monthly pond management, the fountain will do little to support the pond’s overall ecosystem.

• A commercial floating fountain is aesthetically beautiful but does little to help with expensive sedimentation removal.

Don’t get us wrong.  We love to look at fountains. We know that an elephant in your HOA or commercial property is looming, with sedimentation removal costs.  As stewards of your water, we are obligated to prioritize the most crucial function of your retention pond or lake.

If the typical retention pond needs sedimentation removal every 15-20 years, and if the average cost to dredge a small 1-acre pond in 2015 is $50,000.  How important is an $8,000 fountain that consumes $3000 worth of power every year and does little to reduce sedimentation removal costs?  We are sorry, but we can not be good stewards of your water and sell you a fountain.

What is the secret that solves most of these problems?  

Every retention pond SHOULD use bottom aeration because of the energy and biologically efficient aeration system available.

• Bottom aeration costs only $1500 for a 1-acre pond.
• It costs less than $80 per year to maintain and can be repaired on site.
• It consumes only $14 per month in energy for a 1-acre pond.
• It helps solves excess nutrient issues to starve algae and aquatic weeds.
• It has been proven to remove up to 12 inches of muck a year from retention ponds.

Still not convinced and a commercial fountain is a waste of money?

VIDEO: Kasco Pond & Lake Fountains HD

Purchase a Large Fountain for a Lake

…here is a great link to the best & least expensive Residential fountain available on the market that we see the most in ponds at HOAs.

Purchase a Kasco Fountain for 1-2 acre pond

So if we don’t install fountains, what do we do?

We believe every pond needs a steward.  Someone to protect its valuable ecosystem, plan for the future, and preserve it for generations to come.

For this reason, we have built our business around a monthly membership model to give you everything you need for a beautiful, hassle-free pond.

Now serving Greenville SC, Spartanburg SC, Asheville NC, & Charlotte NC areas.

Get started. Become a member today!