Service Preparation Guide — North Shore Waterscapes

Getting Ready for your Service Visit

Thank you for choosing North Shore Waterscapes for your water gardening needs. To ensure you receive the utmost benefit from our services, we kindly request that you review our service preparation guide and make the necessary preparations for your forthcoming visit.

General Preparations for ALL Visits:

Site Access: We must have clear unobstructed access to your property during normal working hours. The water garden working area is exclusively designated for our technicians during the service. For safety reasons, we ask that children and pets be kept at a distance from this area. Thank you for your understanding.

Electricity: At least one active 15A GFCI-Protected outlet within 50 feet of the working area must be available for our use.

Water: At least one active outdoor faucet within 50 feet of the working area must be available for our use. If the closest faucet is over 50 feet away, a traditional garden hose must be set up to reach within 50 feet of the working area prior to our arrival.

Safety Obstructions: Safety obstructions within or surrounding the working area, including but not limited to pet waste, venomous insects and their nests, poison ivy, and similar hazards, must be addressed prior to our arrival.

Primary Contact: A reliable contact method must be on file to ensure availability at all times during scheduled services. We kindly ask you to verify your contact information in your Client Portal and notify us prior to your visit if any of this information has changed.

*** IF UPON ARRIVAL WE ARE UNABLE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES AGREED UPON DUE TO ANY OF THESE OBLIGATIONS BEING UNFULFILLED, YOUR WATER GARDEN WILL NOT BE SERVICED. A SERVICE CHARGE WILL BE APPLIED TO YOUR ACCOUNT, AND WE WILL RESCHEDULE THE SERVICE TO A LATER DATE FOLLOWING FULFILLMENT OF THESE OBLIGATIONS***

Spring Pond Cleaning and Simple Start Services:

Water Garden Equipment: Any pumps or filters required for installation during our service are located and positioned near the water garden before our arrival. Our service teams are unable to search for missing equipment and will not retrieve your pumps and filters from their winter storage unless a prior request is made. Thank you for your understanding.

Waste Disposal: Spring Pond Cleaning may generate organic waste extracted from your feature, which will require proper disposal. If you would like the waste to be disposed of at a specific location within 50 feet of the water garden, please inform us in advance. In the absence of a readily available or pre-designated dumping location, we will automatically remove and disposed of the waste for an additional fee.

Refilling your Water Garden (POST-SERVICE): Your water garden may require additional refilling following our visit. In most cases, this means that there may not be sufficient water in your feature to activate all pumps and filters during our service. It is crucial that you arrange to complete the refilling of your feature and initiate your pumps and filters within one day of our service completion.

Fall Leaf Netting Services:

Support Materials (Standard Fall Leaf Netting Services): Standard services will incorporate any previously purchased netting structure materials, with the exception of the pond netting, which is replaced annually. It is essential that all existing materials are made accessible by the water garden prior to the scheduled installation visit.

Post-Season Removal and Disposal (Deluxe Netting Services): All post-season removal and disposal services are scheduled for completion by late November. However, this timeline may be expedited if measurable snowfall is anticipated. To maintain the health of your water garden throughout the winter season, we kindly request that the final fall cleanup of your property is conducted prior to our visit.

Aquatic Plants: If you would like to preserve any tropical aquatic plants in your feature, please ensure their removal prior to your appointment or inform us in advance of which specific plants you wish to retain. We will carefully cut back and submerge all hardy plantings, while removing and disposing of any tropical plantings that are not designated for preservation beforehand.

Water Garden Winterizaton:

Fish Feeding: We recommend transitioning to a wheat-germ cool water food to support digestive health as water temperatures begin to drop. Discontinue all feeding activities when the water temperature reaches 50°F or at least two weeks prior to your scheduled appointment date, whichever comes first. Do not resume feeding your fish until next spring, after your pond has been opened and water temperatures exceed 50°F, even if temperatures rise before the pond opening.

Winter Equipment: If your water feature includes aquatic life, we strongly recommend the installation of an aerator and de-icer unit during the winterization process. This will ensure the maintenance of an opening in the pond ice and facilitate essential gas exchange throughout the winter months. For clients enrolled in our Winter Equipment Service, your units have already been collected for servicing and will be reinstalled during your scheduled appointment. If your units were not previously collected, please ensure they are tested in advance and made available for your appointment. Should you wish to install an aerator and/or de-icer in your pond for the first time, kindly inform us prior to your appointment.

Activating your Winter Equipment: All winter equipment units will be comprehensively installed and tested during the winterization process; however, only the aerator will be activated at that time. As soon as you notice the initial signs of the hole in your pond ice closing, please activate your de-icer and operate it solely on an as-needed basis throughout the winter season.