Transfer Water From Pond to Pond

I have been sizing pumps and wanted real world experience. Engineering calculations are never a substitute for the real world. I have a large frac pond that I want to pump water to a newly created duck pond.

• Water is 15-20ft below the suction of the pump
• it is a gradual vertical change from pump outlet to new pond at 20-25 ft
• Length of run from water source to new pond is +\-2200 LF

Below is pump I’m looking at.

https://www.auroragenerators.com/product-page/YDP40TW-E4

I keep crunching the numbers factoring friction loss of water through 220LF of 4” PVC and everything tells me this is more than adequate.

I guess the key is how much water you want to pump, and how quickly you want the fill the pond. That pump will certainly do it, and fairly rapidly, but it is an expensive one. The ones we purchased for work, that we use for de-watering sumps, canals, or basement pump pits were always these Honda irrigation pumps. They will run 2-3 hours without refueling, and 10-12 hours a day is no problem for the. Considerable cost savings also, so you could by several for the same price. 4000 gallons per day is quite a bit of water, and these are much more portable.

How many acre feet of water do you plan on moving? Is this a one time thing or some thing you plan on doing annually?

I have done something like what you’re talking about using an industrial grade 4” pump run by a 3 cylinder Diesel engine pumping through 3” poly laid on the surface.

If you’re planning to move a lot of water it will take a long time, days and possibly weeks so you need something with a large capacity fuel tank. At least enough to run for 24 hours at a time.

If the water you are pumping is 20-25’ below pump now how quickly will it be dropping as you pump? There will be a limit to how far you can pull water vertically with a centrifugal pump.

Are you planning to lay it on the ground or bury it? I would be looking at fusible HDPE for water transfer with the possible exception of a buried, permanent installation. Even then I’d still most likely use poly.

Look at getting a vacum transport, 80 bbl or 120 bbl. can move a lot of water.

I looked into this years ago and learned pumping water uphill is pretty easy. Trying to pull it with a pump that is higher can be tricky or impossible depending on the grade. Water cavitation can prevent it from being pumped with a pump at the higher point. I would put the pump at the lower source for sure.

Agree on the Honda. They are my first and only choice.

What kind of engineer consults people with actual experience instead of just running the numbers and telling the peasants what to do?

2200 feet of line? Or 220 feet?

might check with your local rental place and see if they have one of the big pumps on a trailer. I know there is a company here in town that makes them. Barco Pump, they may also lease out. I know they have a few locations around Texas.

Sneaky. Hydraulics engineer

This is what I have. Does over 50k gallons/hour.


https://www.mackspw.com/Warthog-850-GPM-Floating-Pump