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When you've decided that a fountain, reflecting pool, fish pond or waterfall is just right for your landscape, you need to answer some basic questions as to the position, orientation to the sun, and availability of utilities. Site selection involves a balance of functional and aesthetic considerations. How will the water effect look and sound from your favorite viewing places? Happily, most can be situated in such a way as to be conveniently viewed from the walkway, kitchen, living room, patio or other frequented spot. Likewise, thought must be given to the placement of equipment, if any is to be used. Often pumps, filters and related gear can be remoted to areas beyond the feature. This is advantageous to mask their appearance and noise. With a little ingenuity your fall or stream can disguise your pump noise. Site selection has to also include considerations of future maintenance. For the most part, water effects should be near the home, near a wall to reduce spray, splash, evaporation by the wind. If the pond has living things in it, placing it out of the way of the elements will cut down on temperature change and help keep the system stable. Most aquatic plants used in ponds; lilies, lotus, water lettuce, hyacinths, papyrus, horsetails, iris, and others to be covered in later offerings, do best in full sun. Therefore a southerly, open exposure is preferred for a planted water effect; whereas the less sun the better for those systems where no live plant material is to be grown. You might consider a lathe or screen shelter over your water effect as an adjunct to algae control and to keep out leaf litter. Runoff and Drainage: When building a water effect and trying to plan on keeping it clean you should think of drainage of the feature as well as rain and irrigation runoff getting into it. What will happen if the basin should dump completely? Will it flood your neighbor's property? Rain on your roof or ground should not flow into your feature, unless this is planned, as can be introduced. Most times runoff and overflow are easily controlled with the use of existing slope and drainage of your property. To drain your system, it may be advantageous to locate the water above grade near a sewer clean out, canyon, or street. Some people hook up their water feature discharge lines for cleaning and de-watering to existing irrigation to water their plants. Power: Nearness to existing electrical and water supply is important. Check with your local building codes as to set-backs, easements, and to see if you can use inexpensive cable or PVC shielded conduit to a new junction box to run your possible pump, lights, time-box. Water: For refilling, most people simply top off their water levels from time to time while watering their landscape. Alternatively, you can cut in a floating check-valve to a pressurized water source. We'll hear about these under the construction, maintenance topics. Summary: Every landscape can benefit from a well designed and built water effect. Careful, planned placement can go a long way to insure maximum utility and minimum care.
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