Repair of a leak near the moat valve and overflow at Manoir du Guern

We discovered a leak near the moat valve and overflow, as the water level had dropped abnormally, albeit slightly. The first step was to pinpoint the exact location of the leak, which meant completely emptying the moat to gain access to the suspect area. We carefully inspected the area around the valve and overflow to locate the leak.

Once the leak was located, we carefully cleaned the area around the leak, removing all dirt and other debris that might interfere with the adhesion of the clay, the only material that could be used for this problem. Once the area had been cleaned, we needed to find some good, oily clay. We found some some twenty meters away, at a depth of six meters.

We then sealed the leak with this clay, pressing it down carefully, and closed the valve to start gradually filling the moat. While the moat was being filled, we carefully monitored the repaired area for any persistent leaks.

What a job!