drainage issues at the cottage

7 years ago

Hello – looking for some ideas on my water drainage problem. We are in the process of rebuilding/renovating a cottage. We had a cement slab poured, as a result the cottage is now 36” higher than it was. We also had a septic tank installed in the front yard. A long time resident suggested that all of this construction may have disrupted the underground water flow and now we have drainage issues. We have a treed area at the front of the property that was always kind of dampish, but now we have a mini lake/pond there most of the spring/summer/fall. 2 trees have already died, drowned I presume. Last spring we used a pump to get rid of about a foot of water using long lengths of garden hose and pool hose. We pumped it down the road towards the lake. But this isn’t an easy or reliable fix. We've had a ton of snow this winter so I'm sure this spring's flooded area will be considerably larger.

Problems: our property is in kind of a bowl, with water flowing from rock faces on 2 sides. No city sewers/drainage. No ditches. The flooded area is between the house and the road – the flooded area is lower than the road. People have suggested putting in French drains, but there’s nowhere for the water to drain to. We can’t dig up the town road to accommodate our drainage pipes. I thought of a dry well, but the excavation people told me that the area is largely bedrock and this wouldn’t work. One contractor suggested digging a ditch and putting a culvert under our neighbour’s driveway where the water could flow towards the lake – problem with this is that there are 2 huge (12 feet+ in circumference) pine trees in the way, they’ve been there for 50+ years and would be mega $$$ to have removed.

What if I put many blocks of compressed peat moss into the area? Would this absorb the water, like a sponge? Has anyone ever done this? Thanks for any ideas or tips. I don't mind a damp area, but definitely don't want a lake in my front yard.

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Comments (5)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
7 years ago
The peat moss won't accomplish much of anything so you can safely discard that idea! And to be honest, this is not an issue that can be resolved by contributions from an online forum - you need someone knowledgeable onsite to evaluate the situation and make some site-specific recommendations on how to correct. Someone like a soils hydrologist or a local excavating, grading and drainage specialist.

Establishing a rain garden could help but doesn't sound like it will fully resolve the issue. Bedrock close to the soil surface could be a big problem.
mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
7 years ago
Talk to the town. We have neighbors in new construction with the same issue. They said they had the option to have a culvert put under the road to drain their sunken corner, but chose not to because of $$$. I got the impression that at the time, they didn't understand just how big an issue the water ponding was going to be, and with 20-20 hindsight, would have chosen differently.

Anyway, before making any decisions, I'd want to know if having a culvert installed is an option, and if so, how much money it would cost.
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Yardvaark
7 years ago
When it comes to drainage, a person must have specific knowledge of the lay of the land, not only of their own property, but of the surrounding properties, sometimes for a good distance away, and be able to convey this information to others in order to get help. We have to know where the water comes from and where it can possibly go, in order to determine HOW it should get there. I've rarely seen where this information (in plan and photo form) can accurately be provided. And it sounds like here there is some mystery as to the source of the water. To the extent that it can, some degree of help may be available, but it's likely that your best help will come from a local consultation with someone who understands drainage design. It could be a drainage engineer or landscape architect.

I agree that adding peat moss would not be at all helpful.
kitasei
7 years ago
How much and what kind of water (e.g., seasonal or constant) CAN a rain garden reasonably absorb? What are the most efffective plants that can go on a septic field? Ferns?
dhamcof
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks for the comments - all helpful. Yes, I guess we'll be consulting a professional once the many feet of snow melt. this is beyond a rain garden although during the periods when it's somewhat dry, we have ferns sprouting up. Its not a septic field, just septic holding tanks which are buried but have affected the topography of the property.