Insulated removable pond cover

#Man-made, usually rectangular, settling ponds are used for holding sewage and industrial wastes. These ponds are usually covered by a large one-piece geomembrane which has gas and water collection systems and is usually not insulated. These pond covers are laid on-site and secured by an anchoring trench. Because of their size, they are difficult to remove.

#The present invention is an insulated removeable pond cover which is made in sections which are held together by means of a series of grommets and cables. The cables are secured to a series of concrete deadheads.

#The primary advantage of the invention is that it is removeable, thus allowing the pond to be dredged and re-used. Another advantage is that the insulation results in heat being retained in the pond, thus speeding biodegradation of organic material.

#FIG. 1 is a side detail view of two of the panels.

#FIG. 2 is a top perspective view showing two full panels and parts of four other panels, starting from one edge of the pond cover on the left.

#The pond cover comprises a plurality of generally rectangular casings or panel units 1 linked together. The number and size of the casings 1 will vary depending upon the size of the pond to be covered, and the casings 1 are arranged in as many rows as are needed. Generally each casing 1 will be about seven and one-half feet wide and approximately forty feet long. Each casing 1 is filled with a layer of insulation 3 and then sealed at either end and along either side by a fusion weld 4. The casings 1 are made of geomembrane (a high density polyethylene material).

#Adjacent casings 1 are linked together in overlapping spaced relationship by means of a grommet and cable system. Each casing 1 is provided with a plurality of grommets 5 at either end and along either side, positioned outside of the welded area 4 so as not to break the seal. The total number of grommets 5 per casing 1 can vary. After the grommets 5 of adjacent casings 1 are lined up in vertical spaced relationship to each other, a cable 7 is passed through the openings of the grommets 5, is formed into a loop above the panels 1 and is secured in position by a cable clamp 11 attached to the cable 7 beneath the casings 1. A heavy tie-down cable 12 is then passed through all the loops of the cables 7 in the row and is secured at either end to an anchor post such as a concrete deadhead, in a conventional manner such as tying the cable 12 to a rod with a nut at either end and securing the cable 12 with a cable clamp. If wind getting underneath the cover is a problem, additional cables can be passed through the cable loops 7 perpendicular to cable 12 at either end and in the middle of the series of casings 1.

#Once the pond cover has been secured in position, it will float upon the liquid in the pond, and it can be removed when the pond needs to be dredged.