What Should I Check About Pond Filtration & Drainage During Heavy Rain?

During a heavy-rain season, check how well the garden and pond handle runoff and how the pond’s plumbing performs. Start with the pond pump and filtration: is the pump running smoothly, is there excessive vibration or noise, and has the filter been serviced recently? If you rely on a back-up power supply, confirm it works and that there’s an automatic switch-over. Look for signs of drainage problems around the pond—standing water, erosion, or muddy slopes that could affect foundations or walls. Inspect the pond’s edges and retaining walls for cracks or movement and make sure overflow and spillways direct water away from living spaces. Check for algae or plant overgrowth that could clog the filtration. Request maintenance records, recent utility bills for similar-sized ponds, and the contractor’s seasonal service recommendations. If you’ll be away, clarify who supervises maintenance, response times, and what happens if pumps fail. Remember, a dry-season view may miss weak spots that only show up with heavy rain, so add a wet-season checklist to your viewing notes.