Need Help with French Drain Solution - water drainage

I have a low area in my backyard where allot of water accumulates and takes forever to dry. What I did is that I dug out a trench from my backyard to a nearby field that is about 40 feet away. The trench was dug in a downward direction for drainage and at the end of the trench I dug a well, which is just a hole in the ground about 6 feet deep so water could drain into the hole and into the earth. The problem being is that is there is so much water, the hole has already filled up and the water has back right up into the trench right back to the start !! So now what do I do ? I haven't even installed the french drain yet. Recommendations please. Thanks.

Reply to
car crash
Loading thread data ...

If the surface of the destination point is lower than the surface of your backyard, use a pop-up emitter at the destination.

Reply to
mike

Mike What will the pop up blocker do ? Are you saying place the pipe under water as the trench is currently filled up with water and then would the water go up the pipe for about 3 feet and then come out the pop up part ?? Is that how it works ? Thanks.

Reply to
car crash

It's a pop-up *emitter*. Google for images. Anyway, yes, the pipe can be underwater as long as the emitter is lower than the place you are trying to drain and the destination point water level remains lower than the place you are trying to drain.

Emitters are placed on the surface of the ground, in case you were thinking otherwise.

Reply to
mike

Dig a larger, deeper hole.

Reply to
mkirsch1

Will it dry out in less than 48 hours? If so, learn to live with it.

Reply to
hrhofmann

Dry out in 48 hrs ??? Hell no, More like 3 weeks to dry out and that's if there is no rain in that time span.

Reply to
car crash

I would then follow an earlier suggestion and make a small (or large) pond, stock it with some fish to eat mosquitos and enjoy.

Reply to
hrhofmann

And always compliment the wife.

Honey! You look as good as fresh fried catfish.

Reply to
Oren

What you are trying to do is darn near impossible with just a spade and backwork...You may need proffessional help as a machine and site plan are necessary..As others have said you need to know what soil conditions and water table are and plan accordingly..JMHO...We can all take guesses but in the end you will still need a site guy with soil testing skills , transit and a machine big enough to dig the kind of system needed to handle that volume of water...It may require substancial fill in the back yard as well...As always , check your local codes and get the required permits.. A pro can help with those as well...FWIW......Good luck...HTH...

Reply to
benick

Uh, do you own the field you are dumping the water into?

As much as I detest most local government micro-management, this is one of the times when it may pay to talk to them. Here in SW Mich, they have something called 'drainage districts', and drain commissions that run them, paid for as part of property taxes. They hire engineers to look at whole neighborhoods, both built-up and semi-rural, and design waterflow systems that hopefully keep everyone dry. Some people get pissed when their yards get regraded against their will, and/or they have to add driveway culverts and keep them clean, but it beats flooded basements and mosquito-breeder yards. These drainage districts also sometimes fall all over people who do major dirt work without blessing, if it dumps water on a neighbor. If your area doesn't have special drain commissions, they likely have that duty assigned to some other department.

Reply to
aemeijers

It's sort of a check valve. Water runs down pipe, pops up the emitter and flows out.

Your real problem is that your soil doesn't percolate much. That and the fact that the top of your destination hole is very little lower than the source. I can see two solutions...

  1. Dig your hole deep enough so that you get through the impermeable layer of soil. That could be 10s - even 100s - of feet.
  2. Run the run off through a pipe and use an emitter to let it run out on the ground where it will spread around.
Reply to
dadiOH

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.