Another waterlogged garden topic

Hi

I hope this great community will be able to help me with an issue that has had me tearing my hair out for 2 years.

I have read this http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/threads/urgent-help-needed-waterlogged-garden.42464/ with great interest but am not fully convinced that a drain will work.

The lower part of my garden tends flood for days after a heavy rainfall. The gardens at either side and the garden at the end of mine do not flood at all.
I believe they may actually be draining into my garden. No draining is visible, but isn't it true that water will flow to the lowest level available if it cannot go straight down?
The surrounding area is pretty flat, no hills around.

The bottom of my garden seems to be 6 inches lower than all areas that surround it (it's easy to see this when it's flooded, as the surface of water makes a perfect level)
This includes the gardens on either side, the top of my garden, and crucially, the garden at the end of mine. The water starts pooling at the very end of my garden where the 6 inch height difference is very apparent (I lifted up the fence and could see it)

I have read a lot about French drains, but I don't have anywhere to drain the water to so I don't think this will work. I can't run a pipe or a drain into a communal area or a neighbours garden so I can't see this being an option.

I ama happy to dig a soakaway in an area which is about 3m squared, I would try to dig a metre deep and fill with stone before covering with soul and replanting grass.
However I don't want my garden to forever be the drainage point for the 3 surrounding gardens, hence my reluctance to JUST build a Soakaway.

I believe that if I raise the level of the affected area to be the same as its surroundings (ie raise it all by 6 inches, then the neighbours will longer drain onto my land?
I would peel away the sod and level it with some (probably 20+ bags) soil bought from the local garden centre.

What do you think?
Build the Soakaway only?
Build the Soakaway and level the surface?
Level the surface only?

I have attached 2 pictures, a closeup and a higher comparison with a neighbouring garden.

I really appreciate you reading this and giving my your ideas\opinions.
Stephen

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner Steve

Blimey, you got a problem there. You on a water meter? If you are, a rainwater recovery system with a pump in the sump might be worth thinking about.

Can't see that raising the level will help, it'll still be saturated underneath, would turn it into a mudbath

 

We had the same trouble Steve i had to wear wellies just to get to the green house...First job was to raise the path 6" used concrete edging then block paved it....then we fully expected the water to pool futher on to the lawn with us blocking it's 'flow' so dug a hole at the edge of the border only 300 by 200mm and about 3ft deep at the most..big enough to fit a small pump in if needed...covered with a paver....since then after really heavy rain when it fills we just pump it out.....the weird thing is we've only pumped it out a couple of times in 2 years so where's the water goneafter years of being waterlogged.......i don't see the nieghbours in flippers and goggles so we haven't palmed it onto them.....Maybe we've been lucky ....i'll get take some pics to show you what i'm on about...
We thought of digging a soak away but Mr L is scared of spades

 

I wonder if there is an underground stream running underneath your garden or a leak from a pipe?!!
Apologies if this a stupid suggestion..

 

A couple of questions ..
Do I persume that the brick building is a shed/garage?
I can see a waterbutt to the side ,does the rain water from the building just go into there ,or does it have a diverter which then takes it to a soakaway?
If it only goes to the butt was there ever a soakaway installed with the building?
It doesn't look like raising the ground level will help..
How far is the building from the house ?

Dave

 

Our whole estate had these problems in the early days (about 50 years ago). The water table was almost flat, compounded by a clay layer about 2' below the soil surface.
The Council put in storm drains 15 years ago to help one section of the estate to some extent, but there are still 20+ houses that have problems like yours.
My garden had the problem when I moved in 25 years ago and in the first year I dug a sump hole 5' down and then put a post down through the clay to make a deeper hole. The hole and the sump were then filled with chippings and rubble.
I've had no problem since.
My son moved onto the estate last year and found his garden flooded. We dug a sump for him and cured it.
His 2 elderly neighbours then informed him that, following periods of heavy rain, it was the first time in 50 years that their back lawns hadn't flooded - they seemingly are running off into the Son's sump - everybody's pleased!

The moral is:- Bite the bullet. Dig a sump.

 

Thanks everyone for the replies and the welcome.

I am wondering if there is a burst pipe now, maybe the pipe that the rainwater pipes from my house goes to. it's goig to be tricky finding out without digging up the place. maybe the council can tell me roughly where the pipes are.

The brick building is my shed - currently under 6 inches of water :( The waterbutt just gathers and holds water which we could use for watering the plants. We haven't got around to making the garden our own yet, it's still how the previous occupants had it. We are so busy both working and with a 1 and a 3 year old
I don't think there was a soakaway built ever with the shed.

I am excited to discover this simple, cheap device, which will at least let me drain most of this water into my rainwater drain which is beside the house.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wolfcraft-Waterpump-Attachment-drills-1300/dp/B0001P1972/

At least I can start draining before it gets to 6 inches deep, which is the point where the shed gets filled with water.

I would be happy to dig the soakaway if I thought it would help, however drainage codes state that soakaways should be 5m from any buildings, and the only sensible place I can put mine would be to the left of the shed, i.e between my shed and the neighbours. which might not be legal or safe.

 

Do your neighbours' sheds have guttering/soakaways? I was wondering if the rainwater from their shed roofs & run off from surrounding paving simply drains into your lower lying garden, possibly combining with any overflow from your shed water butt.

It's not unusual for neighbouring gardens to end up with higher levels as compost, etc. is added over many years. My parents' garden ended up approx 150mm higher than their neighbours'. I guess this never happened at the end of your garden because of that old brick built shed.

Before digging any deep sumps, check out the Party Wall Etc. Act 1996 to see if any neighbouring buildings are close enough for your work to be covered by Section 6 of the Act. It would be ironic if those outbuildings were part of the problem caused you further expense.

Surely the previous owner must have known about this problem and possibly should have disclosed it before you exchanged contracts. If the water is coming from adjoining gardens your neighbours may be liable. If you have legal expenses insurance you should be able to get some free advice. Have you confirmed with you neighbours if this flooding problem existed before you moved in? If somebody sold me a property where half the garden became unusable from flooding I'd be furious and probably instructing solicitors.

Should connection of a french drain to the surface water system be impractical (possibly due to levels or existing drainage depths), or not permitted (check if you can connect a drain that will be disposing of both surface and ground water), another permanent solution would be a chamber containing something like a Flygt float operated electric pump that would pump it out to the rainwater system whenever it filled, even if it was uphill to the existing drain by your house.

 

Hi Steve
If you have a rainwater drain by the house then you should be able to trench out to it and lay a perferated land drain up to,and through the wet area.. This would be backfilled with peagravel to draw the water. This will then take the water away and prevent the water laying . Looks like you need to trench the pipe to righthand side of concrete path,cannot see what is at the far end of the garden but it would need to continue down there as well I think to be safe ..I would prefer to have a perminate drainage system but as long as the water can be taken away by any means it will work
These are my thoughts but it is difficult to see the whole situation .
Hope this helps .

Dave

 

I'd be intersted to see your pic's lolimac.
How does the pump work and where do you pump it to ?

G

 

Steve,

How long does it take to drain when it gets as bad as this ?

G

 

We pump it down the drain but having said all that our lawn has turned into a pond now....i don't think it's anything other than we've reached saturation point....we've had 24hrs of torrential rain and now the garden just can't cope

 

Tell me about it. They say we have had 2 months of rain in two weeks.
I dont think any number of soak aways or pumps will get rid of this lot.

 

You're right Mr G...Mr lolimac has just come home and the pump is coming out...i'm desperate to save rain water....love the stuff but he's not a gardener and doesn't appreciate how valuable the stuff is.....saying that i've got to be sensible before we are under water

 

A few pics of state of play....slight break in the weather....first pic is first problem area which is normally cured.....and the rest are as is.... pumped away lovely but Mr L has stopped play as it's 'persistantly' pouring AGAIN.......