Question
Hi Sean

I'm concerned about excessive fountain/waterfall splashing and am wondering what tricks there are for controlling it. I once turned on the TV and barely caught a gardening show host (Paul James, maybe?) saying  "...and that's what Disney does to control splashing". I think there was some some of black material hidden in the water. Any idea what it was, or any other tips you might have to reduce water loss due to splashing? Thank you!


Answer
Filter media! You can buy it at any home or hardware store. It is a mesh fiber a lot like steel wool. That is typically used in air conditioning units to filter dust. You can buy it in large sheets and cut as needed. Its about 1" thick. It will basically break the splash and absorb the water. Disney doesn't have reservoirs of water with visible surface they have pads covered with a material similar to this. Not sure it will work for your fountain. You may need to reduce the amount of water action by restricting the flow of water out of our pump.

Best of Luck.

Sean J Murphy, LA, ISA, LEED AP
www.seanjmurphy.com
www.seengineering.com