DOES ANYONE HAVE EXPERIENCE OF FLOODING SOLUTIONS? SOAKAWAYS

[do_it_yourself]

Hello,

please bear with me because I have a situation that seems to get worse and am having difficulty getting roads service (Northern Ireland) providing a suitable solution.

I moved into a house in the country 2 years ago, and as picturesque as it is, it had a major hidden problem. Everytime there a downpour the road outside my boundry and half of my garden is badly flooded. (it does not affect my house).

However, after numerous complaints to road service about the insufficent drain on the road (basically its a hole), they agreed to dig a 40ft soakaway on the grass verge to which I was happy with. However after the 3rd downpour it came back. (see pics)

I'm now wondering what I can have as a solution, is there a product that could pump water automatically to a ditch some 50 yards away? or maybe a deep well?

I'm really concerned cos as I have a 1 year old, shes getting to the age where she might wander off on her own, and the flood is 1,5 ft at its deepest.

I am thinking that this is more a topic for environmental health, as well as a deep flood, the flood takes about 2 weeks to clear (as long as theres no rain), leaving a stench and flies/maggots lay their eggs.

The response I keep getting from roads service is that they have no money to provide a solution. PLease help.

thanks for reading this.

THIS IS THE FLOOD OUTSIDE ON THE ROAD.

THIS IS THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE HEDGE WHERE THE FLOOD CREEPS IN AND DESTROYS PLANTS AND POSSIBLY CAUSES DAMAGE TO THE SEPTIC TANK SYSTEM.

 

[roberta1000]

I don't think it's really the roads services problem except that the road is affected as well as the neighbouring land. You can't expect the roads budget to be used for draining the whole of a local low point. They could solve their problem more easily by raising the road a foot or so.

For a small area you could dig a sump (a hole with some reinforcing) and put a pump in it with a float switch which would then come on whenever the sump filled. Same sort of idea as you might put in a basement which was prone to flooding. The big issue is just how much water you have to shift though. If you are going to provide drainage for a large area you will need a large pump and end up with quite an electricity bill. If the rate of accumulation is low though (maybe say up to even 1000-2000 gallons per hour this would work out cheaply enough I'd guess.

 

[do_it_yourself]

Thanks robert,

In northern Ireland anything to do with road drains are Road service remittance.

It was they who dug the soakaway. Thats has now failed.

I dont think this is a personal issue which is my responsibility, as lots of people use that road, albeit its rural.

The sump is a possible idea though.

 

[Bodgeit and scarper ltd]

I think you should go and live in a town. Ponds are part of life in the countryside

 

[do_it_yourself]

Thanks for that insightful post

Have you ever driven through a pond yourself?

 

[Bodgeit and scarper ltd]

Yes I have driven in ponds! Do it for a laugh sometimes. Nothing like a bit of mud plugging

 

[Trazor]

That bridge at the back of your first picture, would that be a canal..?

If it is, how about digging a nice discreet channel......

 

[do_it_yourself]

No mate its a farmers entrance to his house.

I'm sure if we dug a trench it would only be a matter of time before it would fill up again.

 

[marshman]

If you can put in a trench to the ditch this is your best way, dig your trench then lay in a perforated land drain pipe, cover the pipe end to end with a
100mm cover of 40mm stone, cover the stone with polythene back from the ditch until you get near the low, then back fill the trench to the top
with the 40mm stone, this will filter the water into the pipe quite quick, the polythene section is back filled with soil. a 300mm trench will be wide enough.

 

[Thermo]

a land drain system will help to clear it, as long as you have an area to discharge to, other than that, your options are limited or expensive

 

[Miniape]

Reading through some of the replies here, the best way forward is to not only accept the situation but to apply some measure of control. If the flooding is quite typical in volume, then by installing a shet piled trench at your extremities and covering over, you could create a "reservoir" to control the water levels.

By sheet piling the trench, for instance with Plastic piling you can have a much longer lasting solution. Perhaps even rasie the soil to create a bunded bank to act as a barrier to flood of your property.