Waterfalls are one of the most beautiful and spectacular sights in nature. People travel hundreds or thousands of miles to see the awesome sight of one of the world’s mighty waterfalls. But even smaller waterfalls are relaxing and give one a feeling of tranquility and connection with nature. The sights and sounds of running water are like nothing else in nature.

There are many homeowners that would love to be able to enjoy the relaxing sights and sound of a backyard waterfall, but don’t currently have the space or budget to install a full-sized pond. Others are concerned about the safety of their young children wandering into the pond.

For such homeowners, the pondless waterfall is a great solution, and is one of the fastest growing sectors of the water feature installation industry. For the landscape contractor, a pondless waterfall is another option he can offer to clients. Or, if a landscape contractor is looking to newly get into building water features, pondless waterfalls are a great way to start.

The way a pondless waterfall works is: water flows down the stream and waterfall and then falls into a layer of gravel. Below the gravel is a hole lined with watertight liner and filled with layers of porous material. The water falls through these layers and collects at the bottom, where a pump sends the water back up to the top of the waterfall. The hole is deep enough so that when the waterfall pump is turned off, the water just collects down in the hole without spreading across your yard.

Aquascape, the leading manufacturer of pond products and pond equipment, has recently come out with a new product called an AquaBasin, for use with pondless waterfalls, fountains and “disappearing" fountains. One simply digs a hold and then places the 4-foot wide basin into it. The basin collects the water and a pump placed inside pumps it back up again. The AquaBasin greatly simplifies the installation of a pondless waterfall, disappearing fountain or other type of fountain.

A pondless waterfall can be designed and installed for a fraction of the cost of a full pond. Ease of installation makes the pondless waterfall the ideal water feature for a contractor looking to get into the highly profitable business of installing water features.

Pondless waterfalls are also far easier to maintain for homeowners. There is no pond; therefore there are no fish to care for. There is no concern about algae. The only real maintenance is to occasionally clean the filter, and add water occasionally to make up for evaporation. Another benefit of not having a pond with fish is that the pump does not need to run constantly to provide aeration. You can switch it on at certain times of the day or only when desired. The pump will then last much longer and cost less to use than it would with a pond.

The joy of the pondless waterfall is that it gives the sound and beauty of a waterfall without the many problems associated with the pond. As this option is becoming more common, more water feature installation companies are offering this option to the public.