SURFACE WATER DRAINAGE

WHY INSTALL LAND DRAINAGE?

If heavy rainfall causes waterlogging in your garden, surface water drainage may be the solution. Compacted or clay-based soils tend to retain water, becoming quickly saturated and causing pooling on the surface. Our team can install land drains and soakaways to remove standing water and prevent your garden from becoming a waterlogged marsh during wetter months

WHAT DOES IT DO?

Soakaway systems use modular water storage cells to hold water underground. With a high void ratio, they are effective for both stormwater attenuation and infiltration.

Alternatively, land drains operate by directing water into pipes placed on a layer of aggregate or gravel. This technique helps redirect water away from problematic areas and into a watercourse or stored in a soakaway for gradual dispersal underground.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Waterlogging occurs when closely packed soil particles trap water, preventing it from draining away. To solve this problem, our team creates channels filled with granular materials, such as shingle, that provide a clear path for the water to travel.

Gravity then takes over, causing the water to pick up speed and channel downwards into the land drain via perforations in the pipe. With the pipe laid at a gentle gradient, the water flows away freely to the point of disposal or collection.

GET IN TOUCH

Rainsmart Ellipse Soakaway Crate

PVC perforated land drain coil

WHAT NEXT?

Now you've decided to install a surface water drainage system, it's a good idea to keep track of where water pools and how long it takes to dissipate. Additionally, gather information about your existing drainage system. Do you have access to mains drainage or a watercourse, or is there an existing soakaway system?

1 WE WILL COME OUT AND SURVEY THE LAND

Land drainage can be a complex issue, particularly when it's not connected to a mains outlet. The infrastructure is often hidden and can be centuries old. Our team's first task is to map the existing system and provide plans for repairing, improving, or replacing parts of the network

2 WE WILL DESIGN THE SYSTEM

Results from your site survey will guide the design of your surface water drainage system. Our team commonly seeks to identify and address one or more of the following issues:

Blockage or failure of the existing infrastructure on your property
Failure of the existing infrastructure elsewhere on the network
Rising water table
Change of land use in the vicinity of your property
Poor soil composition, compacted or poorly percolating soils

3 INSTALLATION

To install land drains, we dig a network of interconnected trenches to a defined depth, at a gradient of around 1 in 150. We then set a perforated pipe and surround it with gravel and a geotextile membrane to prevent soil particles from clogging the drain. Finally, we connect the drains to an existing watercourse or soakaway

For smaller properties, we advise spacing drains 2.5m from the affected area. For larger areas where costs can be prohibitive, this spacing can be increased to 10m.