Safety and Efficiency

• The No.1 pond waterfall installation trick: Safety first. Make sure someone is helping you or watching within shouting distance to render aid when working on pond excavation and installation.
  
  Don't use a long extension cord to power pond pumps and filters. Have a ground fault circuit interrupter outlet professionally installed 6 to 10 feet from the pond. Elevate the outlet so cords will dip to a drip point then run up so any condensation will not run into the outlet.
  
  Choose a water pump powerful enough to comfortably pump all the water in the pond once an hour, plus overcome the pump head--the elevation in feet to the top of the waterfall, plus one foot for every 10 feet of linear distance from the pump to the waterfall.
  
  Consider environmental safety and energy efficiency. Magnetic drive pumps are sealed so lubricants cannot leak into the water. Solar-powered pumps operate without running up your electric bill. Skip the garden supply stores: Agricultural suppliers sell solar-powered pumps big enough to run commercial irrigation systems.
  
  

Design

• Lay out your waterfall materials in place and run water down it with a hose before fixing the stones. The most important element is usually where the water flows off the last rock into the pond. If you want this to "sheet," it needs to be very smooth. Some grinding may be in order.
  
  Let your trial design sit for a few days, and take your time looking at it through different times of day. When you're happy with the design, mortar the rocks into place or use expanding foam insulation. Sprinkle dirt over the mortar or insulation before it dries to create a more natural look. Seal any limestone with non-toxic pond sealer so that it does not alter the pH of your pond.
  
  

Installation Process

• Bury the hose from the pump to the waterfall. Run it inside a length of PVC pipe or larger PVC flex hosing so you can just pull it out if it requires maintenance.
  
  In-pond pumps are quiet but difficult to access for maintenance. Burying an all-in-one external unit--filter and waterfall tank--will keep the sound down and make it easier to integrate into the waterfall design but also causes maintenance difficulties.
  
  Use a separate container for a waterfall tank. Put the external filter and pump in a milk crate inside a bigger plastic storage tote. Cut holes for the electric cord and water tubing. Stuff fiberglass insulation between the two containers. Bury the outer container to the depth of the lid to diminish the sound but allow easy access.