Garden WET WET WET....

[MasterAbacus]

Hi all,

Three days ago we started work on our garden, going to be planting some new trees, bushes, shrubs etc...

The part of the garden nearest the house i took opon myself to lift and remove several big old paving slabs, so we could plant bushes etc....This area of the garden as always seemed to be wet, but when i was removing the flags I found about 4 inches of white stone/gravel, I assumed this was for the flags to sit on, so (NO job is EVER easy) i took upon myself to remove the stone harcore as well and thaught id replace with some nice new top soil...

NOW, remembering this area has always seem wet, and under the stones, it was very wet, and the harcore was REALLY WET... But i struggled on and 30 or so barrow fills later the Hardcore was removed and i was left with a 4 inch deep hole about 3ft by 10ft.

HOWEVER... the soil that was left behind was wet saturated... soggy, muddy and very spongy... Due to work comitments, three days later i today find myself with a hole that has slowly filled with water, and does not seem to be going down. ARGHHH...

Like I said earlier, that part of the garden had always been wet / muddy and i spoe with my nieghbour about this, to find out that they had a pond / bog garden next to the fence. MMMmmmmm Ok, sounded iffy to me... So anyways, looking at this a little more today, and clabering all over the fence i work out that the level of water in my hole, pretty much matches the level of water in thier pond.... Grrrrr

My thaughts are that thier pond leaks....
My Question is..... How do i prove it?

Also noticed today that thier conservatory guttering runs to a fall pipe that drains onto or around the same area... I know yesturday we had some showers, but nothing to shout abt so to speak...

Anyway, Im left with a dilemer, I have 30 or so plants / trees etc heading my way in the coming few days, but all i have is a hole thats full of water....

What can i do?

HHHEEELLLPPP !!!!!!!!!!

 

[Bodgeit and scarper ltd]

It sounds like your house has been built on a bog. The best thing to do is plant bog plants.

 

[W_Axl_Rose]

Dig a pit in the middle of this bed 1 cubic metre , fill with the hardcore you removed (presuming you still have a heap of it?). compact hardcore well then top dress whole area with new top soil/soil conditioner mix. take a photo though if you can as 30 barrows seems a bit of an exaggeration for the dimensions you've mentioned?

peace

Axl

 

[breezer]

ask them how often they fill up their pond, pond owners do not like leaks

 

[JohnD]

dig out your hole and install a pump, see if their bog garden dries out.

 

[breezer]

you may just have a high water table

if you have the inclination could you dig a small hole else where in the garden to the same depth (allowing for ground differnces) and leave it for a day or two and see if it too fills up.

i only mean a hole something the size of a bucket

 

[MasterAbacus]

It sounds like your house has been built on a bog. The best thing to do is plant bog plants.

Thats about as helpfull responce as a chocolate fireguard....

 

[MasterAbacus]

Dig a pit in the middle of this bed 1 cubic metre , fill with the hardcore you removed (presuming you still have a heap of it?). compact hardcore well then top dress whole area with new top soil/soil conditioner mix. take a photo though if you can as 30 barrows seems a bit of an exaggeration for the dimensions you've mentioned?

peace

Axl

Very much a bodge fix to the problem dont you think?... I dont want to leave the water , or hide it in a hole//// I need to know its source raher than just hide the problem.

As for 30 barrows.... Trust me... It was 30 barrows...

 

[MasterAbacus]

ask them how often they fill up their pond, pond owners do not like leaks

Id say they fill the pond at least once every few weeks.... well thats how often i hear thier hose pipe on in that area of the garden....

 

[MasterAbacus]

dig out your hole and install a pump, see if their bog garden dries out.

Id love to do that... but do youthink its really worth all that work?... and expense to find out if that is the problem.?

 

[MasterAbacus]

you may just have a high water table

if you have the inclination could you dig a small hole else where in the garden to the same depth (allowing for ground differnces) and leave it for a day or two and see if it too fills up.

i only mean a hole something the size of a bucket

Best repsonce so far, actually ive dug out two hole in the garden that are deeper than the one that now resembles a pond.... They are for posts, about a 18inches wide, and 2ft deep.... a good foot below the problem area (at least).... and theyve been dug out for 4 days, and are dry... completely dry... So guess its not the water table.....

 

[MasterAbacus]

Just an Update...

Been in touch with environmental..... they think its a burst pipe ...MMmmmm (Doubt it)

Also spoke with Building control / Planning regarding Cons and drainage.... Apparently there is nothing that can be done as a Cons does not need to be built with planning, or within building regs for drainage etc... (GREAT)

Next stop was the water board.... there going to send an engineer to come look at my hole.....

 

[do_it_yourself]

ask them how often they fill up their pond, pond owners do not like leaks

Id say they fill the pond at least once every few weeks.... well thats how often i hear thier hose pipe on in that area of the garden....

I think youve found your answer, they shouldnt really need to fill it up that often. They must have a leak that has natually found its soakaway into your side of the garden. Nothing you can do about it really, except ask them to re-dig and relay their pond. My advice to you would be to create your own pond and surround it with you trees/shrubs.

Otherwise you have to create a soakaway yourself, not an easy job and quite messy.

Water needs to go somewhere, it doesnt dry up, it just trickles down through the earth.

 

[MasterAbacus]

ask them how often they fill up their pond, pond owners do not like leaks

Id say they fill the pond at least once every few weeks.... well thats how often i hear thier hose pipe on in that area of the garden....

I think youve found your answer, they shouldnt really need to fill it up that often. They must have a leak that has natually found its soakaway into your side of the garden. Nothing you can do about it really, except ask them to re-dig and relay their pond. My advice to you would be to create your own pond and surround it with you trees/shrubs.

Otherwise you have to create a soakaway yourself, not an easy job and quite messy.

Water needs to go somewhere, it doesnt dry up, it just trickles down through the earth.

Ok, well I will await what the Waterman says, But surely if thier pond leaks water onto my land, is that not tresspass????

 

[Bodgeit and scarper ltd]

It still sounds like a bog, if the water table is high there, plant things like willow trees that need a lot of water.

If you have a burst water pipe don’t tell the water board as they will bill you to fix it plus they may bill you for loss of water. Its best to repair it yourself.