Outdoor Water Bowls for Pools: Sizes, Pumps, Prices and Planter Bowls (2026)
Quick answer: A water bowl is a sculptural bowl with a scupper that pours a sheet of water into a pool, pond or basin. It uses no gas: it needs a water line and a recirculating pump, about 7 to 10 gallons per minute per bowl (15 GPM for wide-spill models). The Outdoor Plus makes them in GFRC concrete, copper, powder-coated and stainless steel, from 24 to 48 inches. Concrete water bowls start around $1,173 to $1,254 for a 24 to 27-inch bowl, copper from about $2,140. Add fire later? Choose a fire and water bowl instead.
If you want the sound and movement of water without a big fountain, a water bowl is the simplest answer. Set on a pillar or the pool wall, it pours a smooth sheet of water through a scupper. This guide uses the specifications in The Outdoor Plus 2026 Bowls Catalog and their 2026 minimum advertised prices.
What is a water bowl?
A water bowl is the water-only member of the bowl family. Water is pumped into the bowl, fills it, and spills out through a scupper (a short spout) or, on wide-spill models, across a long spillway. There is no burner, so no gas line, no key valve and no clearance from combustibles to plan for.
Each The Outdoor Plus water bowl comes with the bowl, a copper spillway and an Easy Flow water fitting with a 1½-inch inlet. Powder-coated Sedona water bowls use a powder-coated spillway instead of copper.
What a water bowl needs to work
- Somewhere for the water to land: the pool, a spa, a pond or a hidden basin. Without a pool, a pondless basin with a pump does the job.
- Flow: The Outdoor Plus rates standard scupper bowls at 7 to 10 GPM. Maya Wide Spill bowls need about 15 GPM for an even sheet across a 20 to 30-inch spillway.
- A pump and a water line to the 1½-inch inlet. The pump and plumbing are not included; your pool contractor sizes them for the number of bowls and the height they sit at.
- A way to balance the flow when several bowls share one pump, so each scupper pours the same.
| Bowl type | Flow per bowl | Scupper or spillway | Inlet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard water bowl (Cazo, Maya, Sedona, Luna, Roma, Avalon, Remi) | 7 to 10 GPM | 8 to 12-inch scupper | 1½" |
| Maya Wide Spill (24, 30, 36") | 15 GPM | 20, 24 or 30-inch spillway | 1½" |
| Planter and water bowl | 7 to 10 GPM | 8 to 12-inch copper scupper | ¾" |
From The Outdoor Plus 2026 Bowls Catalog.
Pool pro tip
Give your pool contractor the catalog numbers before the deck is poured. The water line (and the gas line, on fire and water bowls) runs up the column, so plan it before the column is built. Our guide to fire bowls on pillars and columns covers column sizes and mounting.
Shapes and sizes
| Model (GFRC concrete) | Sizes | Height | Base | Scupper |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cazo | 24", 31", 36", 48" | 9" to 16" | 9" to 20" | 8" to 11" |
| Maya (square) | 24", 30", 36" | 10.25" to 12" | 13" to 20" | 8" to 10" |
| Sedona (wide) | 27", 33" | 10" to 11" | 12" to 18" | 8" |
| Luna (deep round) | 30", 38" | 15" to 16" | 14" to 22" | 8" |
| Roma | 24", 36" | 10" to 16" | 9" to 18" | 8" |
GFRC concrete versions. Metal versions (powder coat, stainless steel, hammered copper) come in 24 to 36 inches. Cazo also comes in a 48-inch concrete version, and Sedona in 36 and 48-inch powder coat.
Most pool projects use 24 to 36-inch bowls on 20 to 24-inch columns. For a long pool wall, a row of matching bowls or the Maya Wide Spill reads well from a distance. Cazo and Maya water bowls also come in wall-mounted versions for vertical walls.
The same idea with flames: three fire and water bowls along a pool wall.
2026 prices by model and material
| Model | GFRC concrete | Powder coat | Stainless steel | Hammered copper |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cazo 24" | $1,178 to $1,524 | $1,785 | - | $2,140 |
| Cazo 30-31" | $1,369 to $1,715 (31") | $2,201 (30") | - | $3,254 (30") |
| Cazo 36" | $1,846 to $2,192 | $2,497 | - | $3,099 |
| Maya 24" | $1,173 to $1,518 | $1,601 | $1,920 | $2,380 |
| Maya 30" | $1,261 to $1,607 | $1,750 | $2,096 | $2,795 |
| Maya 36" | $1,715 to $2,061 | $2,242 | $2,576 | $3,347 |
| Sedona 27" | $1,254 to $1,599 | $2,043 | - | $2,593 |
| Sedona 33" | $1,357 to $1,702 | - | - | - |
| Luna 30" / 38" | $1,905 to $2,251 / $2,343 to $2,689 | - | - | - |
| Maya Wide Spill 24 / 30 / 36" | - | $1,995 / $2,792 / $3,436 | $2,431 / $3,233 / $3,896 | $2,932 / $3,730 / $4,393 |
The Outdoor Plus 2026 minimum advertised prices. GFRC ranges run from standard colors to Rustic and Metallic colors. Freight is free in the lower 48 on orders of $2,000 or more, otherwise $150.
A pair of concrete water bowls comes to about $2,350 to $4,400 for 24 to 36-inch sizes, before the pump and plumbing. For comparison, the same bowls with fire on top start at $2,497 each: see fire and water bowl prices.
Water bowl, planter and water bowl, or fire and water bowl?
| Type | What it does | Needs | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water bowl | Pours water | Pump + water line | Quiet pools, warm climates, no gas on site |
| Planter and water bowl | Plants on top, water pours from a scupper | Pump + water line, soil and plants | Gardens, pool edges with greenery |
| Fire and water bowl | Flame plus pouring water | Pump + water line + gas line | The full evening effect by the pool |
If there is any chance you will want fire later, buy a fire and water bowl now: you can run the water alone. Our fire and water bowl pool guide explains how both run together.
A fire and water bowl gives you both: here the Cazo 24" in GFRC.
Where to place water bowls
- On pillars at the pool edge, scupper facing the water, so the stream clears the coping.
- On a raised spa or pool wall, in a row of two to four.
- In a reflecting pool or pond, where the pour is the only sound.
- At an entrance, over a small hidden basin.
Copper bowls along a reflecting pool. Copper also comes as a water bowl.
Care: concrete, copper and steel
- GFRC concrete is glass-fiber reinforced, lighter and stronger than precast. Rinse it now and then so pool water does not leave mineral spots, and use a breathable cover in the off season.
- Hammered copper develops a natural patina over time.
- Stainless and powder-coated steel just need a wipe, more often near salt water.
More on durability in will a concrete fire bowl crack? and fire bowl materials explained.
Why GFRC holds up outdoors: The Outdoor Plus drop test.
How to order
Water-only bowls are built to order by The Outdoor Plus in California and ship in about 3 to 4 weeks by freight. They are not in our online store yet, so send us the model, size, finish and ZIP code and we reply with the price and delivery window, usually within one business day.
Ask for water bowl pricingPrefer fire and water? Those are ready to order online: Cazo 31" fire and water bowl, Maya 30" or Sedona 27".
Frequently asked questions
Do water bowls need a pump?
Yes. A water bowl recirculates water from the pool or a basin. The Outdoor Plus rates standard scupper bowls at 7 to 10 gallons per minute and Maya Wide Spill bowls at about 15 GPM. The pump and plumbing are not included.
How much does an outdoor water bowl cost?
In 2026, The Outdoor Plus concrete water bowls start at about $1,173 (Maya 24") to $1,846 (Cazo 36") in standard colors. Copper versions start at about $2,140, and the Maya Wide Spill starts at $1,995.
Can I use a water bowl without a pool?
Yes, with a hidden basin or pond that holds the water and the pump. The bowl pours into the basin and the pump sends the water back up.
What is the difference between a water bowl and a fire and water bowl?
A water bowl only pours water and needs no gas. A fire and water bowl adds a burner on top, so it also needs a gas line and an ignition. You can run a fire and water bowl with water only.
What size water bowl should I choose?
Most pool projects use 24 to 36-inch bowls on 20 to 24-inch columns. Match the bowl to the column for a tailored look, or go wider for more presence.
What comes with a water bowl?
The bowl, a copper spillway (powder-coated on powder coat Sedona bowls) and an Easy Flow water fitting with a 1 1/2-inch inlet.
