EPDM rubber liners are flexible, durable, and UV-stable, making them ideal for dams, ponds, and water features. Easy to install, repair, and safe for wildlife, they resist soil shifts and chemical exposure. With long-lasting performance and up to 20 year warranties, EPDM is a practical, reliable choice for water containment.
Summary
Choosing a Liner for Your Dam or Pond
Choosing a liner for your dam or pond is an important decision. It matters for durability, longevity, and performance.
We get asked all the time by clients what type of liner they should use. In the majority of cases, we say EPDM. It’s an effective choice, and here’s why.
What is EPDM?
EPDM stands for ethylene propylene diene monomer. That’s a big chemical name, but it’s basically a rubber, so we call it EPDM rubber.
Being rubber-like, it has give and flexibility. Compared with some other plastic-type liners, it’s very elastic. That’s why it’s great for aesthetic ponds, landscaped water features, and residential dams. If the soil shifts, it can adapt without tearing.
Easy to Install and Repair
EPDM is user-friendly and quite easy to install — you don’t need specialist equipment to join it. It’s joined with a primer and joining tape. You prime the surface with the primer, and then you put down the tape, and it sets off a vulcanising chemical bonding process, resulting in a very strong join.
That makes it a good choice for DIY installation. If you want to line a dam yourself or don’t want to use professional specialist dam liners, this is a great choice.
It comes in a variety of different roll sizes and thicknesses, so depending on what your application is, you can go from a small lightweight thickness to a heavy-duty type thickness.
The user-friendly joining system also makes it quite easy to repair. If it rips or tears during the installation or if an animal pierces it later, you don’t need a professional to come in with welding equipment. You can patch it yourself using the same primer system as you used to install it.
UV Stable and Built to Last
One of the biggest weaknesses of plastic liners like PVC, HDPE, LDPE, or polypropylene is UV degradation. They become brittle over time, often quite quickly, and crack. You don’t get that with EPDM — it’s highly UV stable.
With EPDM, you get a highly UV-resistant liner with no plasticisers to break down that remains flexible for decades. It’s a durable choice even in harsh, sunny climates like we get in Australia.
Safe for Wildlife, Safe for Wastewater, Safe for the Long-Haul
EDPM is chemically inert — it’s not going to leach anything into your water. That makes it a safe product to use for wildlife, fish, or even recreation. They’re also resistant to a lot of the chemicals we use in water management, so it’s quite useful in some wastewater applications.
They have a long warranty, too — depending on the thickness and manufacturer, anything from 10 to 20 years. For most cases, I think EPDM is just the best choice for lining ponds or dams.
Looking For Liner? Contact Us
If you’re looking for liners or other water quality improvements, contact us. We offer FREE specialist advice, water assessments, and high quality products.
