Backyard Water Hazards: Ponds, Fountains, Rain Barrels and Spas

To make your yard safe for small children, find every place water sits or collects, then remove it, cover it with a lid a child can't open, or fence it off. Ponds, fountains, rain barrels, bins, ditches and hot tubs all count, not just pools.

Yard water is easy to overlook because it is part of the scenery. A toddler sees it differently: as something shiny to touch, splash or reach into.

Water in the yard that isn't a pool

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Young children usually reach yard water when no one expects them to be outside. They slip out a door, follow a pet or chase a ball. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says a child can drown in as little as 2 inches of water, quickly and silently (opens in a new tab), so even shallow water features matter.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) names the ones to look for: natural bodies of water such as ponds and standing water in or around the home (opens in a new tab), bird baths, fountains, wells, irrigation ditches and drainage ditches. CPSC adds landscape ponds and coolers (opens in a new tab).

Walk your yard at a toddler's height. Look for anything that holds water now, or will after the next rain.

Ponds, fountains and bird baths

These are the hardest to make safe, because they are meant to hold water all the time.

The AAP's advice for families with young children is to consider holding off on installing or using them until your child is older (opens in a new tab). In practice, that can mean:

• Pausing it. Drain a fountain or bird bath and leave it dry for a few years.
• Changing it. Some families turn a pond into a planter or a dry garden bed while their children are small.
• Fencing it off. If a pond has to stay, keep it behind a fence and a gate a toddler can't open. CPSC's pool guidelines call an isolation barrier or fence the best defense (opens in a new tab) when a pet door leads to a pool or other backyard water.

Never count on a toddler "knowing" not to go near it. Rules help older children. Barriers protect younger ones.

Rain barrels, bins and ditches

The AAP's rule covers every container in the yard: never leave a filled, open-top water container unattended (opens in a new tab). It specifically lists trash or recycling bins that collect rainwater (opens in a new tab) as containers to empty.

• Rain barrels. Use a barrel with a lid a child can't lift off, and keep it closed. Keep crates, steps and garden furniture away from it so a child can't climb up.
• Bins. Keep lids shut. Tip out any rain that collects.
• Empty containers. CPSC says not to leave empty containers in yards or around the house, where they may collect water and attract young children (opens in a new tab). Flip buckets, toy pails and planters.
• Ditches and wells. The AAP names wells, irrigation ditches and drainage ditches as hazards. Keep children out of reach of them with a fence or a closed gate.
• Building work. The AAP also says to block children's access to open post holes during construction (opens in a new tab). Holes and trenches fill with rain.

More on everyday containers is in buckets, coolers and containers.

Hot tubs and spas

A hot tub is deep water for a toddler. CPSC's barrier guidelines include spas and hot tubs in the definition of a "pool" (opens in a new tab), so the same barrier advice applies.

• The AAP says to always cover and lock hot tubs, spas and whirlpools right after using them (opens in a new tab).
• CPSC warns that a solar cover can let children slip into the water while the cover appears to stay in place, hiding the child (opens in a new tab). Only a locked safety cover is a barrier.

Our hot tub safety guide covers covers, drains, heat and rules for children.

Fences, gates and covers

Barriers work when your attention slips, which is when most young children reach water. The AAP calls fences the most effective, proven way to prevent drowning of young children (opens in a new tab).

For any yard water you can't remove:

• A fence that separates it from the house and play area.
• A gate that closes and latches by itself, with the latch out of a child's reach.
• A lid or cover a child can't open, kept closed and locked.
• No chairs, crates, toys or planters near the fence or barrel to climb on.
• A locked or alarmed door between the house and the yard. See stopping toddlers from slipping outside.

Have a kiddie pool or inflatable pool? Empty and flip it after every use. Larger portable pools need a fence. See inflatable and portable pool safety.

Neighbors' yards and shared spaces

The AAP notes that many drownings among young children take place at the home of a friend, relative or neighbor (opens in a new tab).

• Know what's next door. If a neighbor has a pond, pool or hot tub, it is part of your child's world. CPSC's barrier booklet encourages pool owners to ask neighbors with pools or spas to use self-closing, self-latching gates too (opens in a new tab).
• If a child is missing, CPSC advises looking in the pool or spa first, including neighbors' pools or spas (opens in a new tab). Check ponds and other yard water too.
• Shared yards and buildings. Ask the landlord or building manager about covers and gates on shared water features, and report broken ones.

What you can do today

1. Walk the yard after the next rain and list every place water sits.
2. Empty, flip or lid every container you find.
3. Decide on the pond or fountain: drain it, change it or fence it while your children are small.
4. Check the hot tub cover is locked, and stays locked after every use.
5. Use the Home water hazard audit to cover the rest of your home, and review the room-by-room hazard checklist.