Without a doubt, you will want koi carp ponds in your home garden. With their sense of otherworldly beauty and worldly serenity, you will even have praises coming your way! Still, koi carp ponds pose safety issues that must be addressed otherwise their beauty will be for naught. With that said, here are a few reminders on combining beauty and safety in any koi pond.
Watch the Children
Kids are also attracted to koi ponds for the simple reason that the colourful patterns on the exotic fishes are sufficient motivation to check them out on a closer level. Besides, kids are naturally curious creatures and you must know by now how curiosity killed the cat!
Thus, you must adapt measures to ensure that small children are never left unattended around a koi pond. It may be just babysitters or older siblings or other adult family members, just as long as children have adult supervision. Yes, this is necessary even when you think that the koi pond is sufficiently shallow as to avoid drowning since small children have been known to drown in water as little as 6 inches in depth!
Shallow Pond Depths
Speaking of shallow depths, your koi carp ponds must have shallow areas that will allow children who have accidentally fallen into them to gain a foothold. At the very least, they could stand up on the shallow ground and, hence, get out of the pond easily.
You may also install either a 1-foot ledge or shelf around the pond so as to provide children with an easier escape option. Even a few strategically-placed boulders can provide additional leverage for a child to pull himself out! Or a rope dangling over the koi pond will do ala Indiana Jones. And don’t think either that these safety measures are for children only. Even adults will appreciate them especially when their legs are not as strong as in their younger days.
Lessen Slippage
The materials around the koi pond must be made of non-slip materials especially around the edges. You may ask your local building contractor for such materials early on in the pond construction.
You can also request for safety railings along the walkways so as to provide a secure handhold. The important thing is that you continuously look for ways to lessen the slippage factor inherent in a water installation such as a koi pond.
Follow Local Building Safety Codes
Building a koi pond requires compliance with local building codes, which you, or your contractor, if you have one, must be aware of. After all, you don’t want to spend money on something that is illegal especially not with a thing of beauty like a koi pond, do you?
Anyways, you might be required to build safety installations around koi ponds such as fences and non-slip materials. At the very least, you won’t have to worry too much about safety issues as the local authorities have previously planned it for koi pond owners like you.
Your koi carp ponds will become the envy of your neighbours, family and friends when these are carefully planned for optimal beauty. Just make sure that safety measures are in place no matter how many koi carp ponds you have!
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