The get-rich-quick factor in the koi pond liner industry has forced up the price of pond liner kits to equal the cost of concrete construction. If you search for the truth about concrete koi ponds and waterfalls from reading the literature of the greed-driven, koi pond liner industry, you will not find it. Why? Because if the truth be known, no one in their right mind would invest good, hard-earned money in a koi pond liner!

Disclaimer: [This article is not an endorsement of any product or waterfall and koi pond system. It only covers general information about how to build a koi pond or waterfall that will last for decades, utilizing materials found at any home improvement store.]

The koi pond liner track record speaks for itself:

1. More than 37% of all waterfalls have serious structural damage within 3 years of construction.

2. 57% of homeowners say they are rather unsatisfied with the way their waterfall came out after the project was completed.

3. One in three waterfalls and [koi] ponds are leaking water within nine months of completion.

4. 63% of "do-it-yourselfers" say they wished they had the proper information from the "get go" or that they had hired someone.

Note: These statistics are from the koi pond liner industry itself (Bob Wilder, 48-Hour Waterfall).

I can confirm and attest to these figures myself. I have built over 1,900 concrete and rebar waterfalls and koi ponds over the past 26 years. I have ripped out and replaced dozens of defective liner koi ponds and replaced them with concrete ones with lifetime warranties. This is not a solicitation... I am retarded, I mean retired.

Koi pond liner guys will not attach more than a one-year warranty. They make no guarantee against rats, mice, ground squirrels, gophers, tree roots and sharp objects. For some strange reason, they do not even mention to their clients, what can happen to a liner, once it is installed. Withholding the truth is perty dern close to lyin if you ask me.

Fasten your seat belt... Let's compare apples to lemons ... First, let's talk about apples (concrete waterfalls). We will construct a pondless waterfall that is 20 inches wide at the top by 20 feet long, becoming 24 inches wide at the bottom, to create a spillway 3 feet tall. At the bottom is a catch basin 4 ft. x 6 ft. x 3 ft. deep. The costs of excavation are as follows:

To dig a waterfall and basin takes two men 4 hours @ $20 per hour = $160. The flexible PVC pipe is 35 ft. @ $1.25 per ft. = $44. Concrete (3500 psi with stealth fiber)): 2 ½ yards = $250. 20 pieces of 20 ft. x 3/8 inch rebar = $100. One 1/3 HP high efficiency pump, 2800 GPH, 356 watts = $429. One anti-vortex drain = $10. Four 2 x 4 ft. heavy plastic corrugated or galvanized plans to cover the collection basin = $35. Setting the rebar: 3 man-hrs. = $225. Pumping and finishing 2 ½ yards of concrete: 4 man-hrs. @ $75/hr. = $300. Applying thoro-seal, 1 sack + 1 hour = $43. Rock work + 8 sacks mortar mix: labor - 8 man-hrs. @ $75/hr. = $600. Mortar: $40.

TOTAL EXCAVATION COST FOR A CONCRETE POND = $2,236.

With this type of construction, no filter is needed. The water in the basin is not exposed to sunlight, so there are no algae. Plus the top layer of rock and the planks are easily removed for cleaning out debris about once a year. If a plastic screen is placed over the planks before the rock layer, cleaning is reduced by 90%.

Now let's talk about the lemons (the liner folks). The pondless waterfall liner kit advertised by all the disciples of the "liner messiah" on their websites is $1,940 + tax & shipping, or $2,176.

And now for the math: One concrete/rebar construction pondless waterfall completed with high-efficiency pump = $2,236. One pondless liner kit to build a pondless waterfall of the exact same dimensions = $2,176. If I did the math correctly, the completed concrete pondless waterfall costs $60 more than the pondless waterfall liner kit; however, it is still in the box!

Concrete and rebar pondless waterfall has a lifetime warranty. Liner pondless waterfall: 1 yr. warranty on labor, lifetime warranty against factory defect. But there is no warranty whatsoever against holes caused by rats, mice, ground squirrels, gophers, tree roots, sharp objects, etc. Sorry Charlie!

Concrete and rebar pondless waterfalls use a high-efficiency above-ground pump that is easy to service (it has a 3 yr. warranty). The 1/3 HP pump is small, very quiet, and easily hidden behind a couple of rocks or plants next to the falls, or piped to another part of the yard. The liner pondless waterfall uses a submersible sump pump that is placed in the bottom of the basin, and then buried with hundreds of pounds of rocks. To service this pump (only a 2 ½ yr. warranty), all the slimy, stinky rocks have to be removed from the basin first.

The concrete and rebar pondless waterfall pump produces 5,800 gallons per hour at only 356 watts (retail $429). The liner pondless waterfall kit comes with a sump pump (they advertise as "the best pump on the market"). It produces 5,700 gal/hour (100 gal. less) at a whopping 911 watts of power (over twice that of the above-ground pump). You will pay $525 more per year for electricity (at $.12/kwh) for that extra 555 watts. Their pump costs $600 retail ($171 more than the above-ground). Oh, did I mention "the best warranty in the industry" is only 2 ½ years, compared to 3 years for the above-ground?

The concrete and rebar pondless waterfall's rocks are all mortared in place. So anyone, especially small children, can climb on the rocks without them moving, with possible serious injury resulting. With liner pondless waterfalls, rocks will move and shift on their own without help. After a few months, the ugly liner is exposed in the falls and around the pond.

While building the concrete pondless (convertible) waterfall, design liberties can be taken, such as altering the length, width or shape of the feature. With a liner pondless waterfall, the parameters have already been set by the manufacturer of the kit.

With my Pondless (convertible) concept, the rocks can be removed when the toddlers are grown or you sell your house to someone who prefers a pond.

The concrete pondless (convertible) waterfall can utilize the large, open basin to install an electronic autofill automatic water leveling device. Since you cannot see the water level, without moving the rocks that cover the galvanized grates, an electronic float control will automatically keep the basin full. Stay away from mechanical type floats, they are know to corrode, stick or jamb and then you will no longer have a pondless waterfall... no one can guarantee where that pond will be! It won't be for koi.

In addition, the basin can be made smaller because the space for water is not taken up by rocks as it is in the liner pondless (convertible) waterfall basin. The only rock that exists is on top of the galvanized or plastic plank cover.

There is no need to access the basin, since the pump is outside and draws water from the anti-vortex drains on the bottom. An electronic autofill float control never sticks or corrodes, and will virtually last for 15 to 20 years.

Wow! Concrete waterfalls are stationary, permanent, lifetime life-expectancy, cheaper to build, cheaper to operate, easier to clean, easy to maintain, longer pump warranty, safer and more natural looking! Apples or lemons? You be the judge!

I am sick and tired (or is it tired and sick) of these amateurs giving my life-long profession a bad name by their exaggerated, dishonest and sensational claims, only to be backed up by a nebulous warranty and, at best, shoddy workmanship.

There are professionals installing liners that do take measures to prevent rodent or root attacks by placing a think layer of mortar under and over the liner.

I found that if you are going to go to all that extra work and expense, just build it with 3500 psi concrete and rebar to begin with!

Happy koi, peace and joy ... no koi, no joy.