yard drainage problem

[MasterPlumbersKeymaster]

I live on a corner lot, with a city pump station taking up the right back corner. I built a fence around the perimeter of my yard, and am now doing extensive landscaping – trees, garden beds, etc. I just finished a bed beside my back fence that is adjacent to the pump station. We have had an extraordinary amount of rain in the last few days, and the area in front of the bed is now a lake. My ex says that I created a dam when I built the garden bed, but surely I should be able to have flowerbeds surrounding my yard??!!?? How can I redirect this “pool” of water? Is a “french drain” the answer? Would I have to trench to the street? Is this even anything I could consider doing myself? (I am fairly handy, by obviously am challenged by this problem.)

[SylvanLMPParticipant]

WOW what a fantastic question .Tough one really had me going for a while

If you redirect this water improperly your invading the right of way of another persons property. If you let this lake continue the standing water will eventually find a new run off could be your foundation (not a good thing)

Suppose you think about this

Get some perforated pipe and Mirafy fabric (which is a woven material made from polypropylene filament and is used in the construction of under drains and other dewatering situations).

It allows the water to percolate through it but keeps the soil from plugging up the stone bed that surrounds the perforated collection piping. MIRAFY is a trade name for Monsantos product, there are other names for this product from other manufacturers. Any Utility Construction supply house will have something similar to Mirafy…

Now after you install this pipe and wrap it you can pitch it to where ever it wont be a nuisance to someone else’s property but try to make the piping trench 18″ wide 18″ deep with clean fill on top and bottom. Try using 4″ pipe if this is a BIG LAKE. Please keep me posted ..

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