Does your yard have standing water?

If you have standing water on your property that doesn’t seem to dissipate or drain, you’re not alone. Many homes on the Virginia Peninsula share this problem. Standing water is defined as collecting water that doesn’t dissipate or drain for 24 hours or more. Contractors assessing the situation have a number of options to offer. Some are simple, like French drains and grading swales, while other solutions are more complicated, such as drainage pipes and pumps. The latter involves costly excavation and is usually not appealing to many homeowners. Some homeowners, fearing the worst, opt to pack up and move to higher ground. But poor drainage can even occur with homes that are built at higher elevations.

How can Custom Gardens help me get rid of standing water? Custom Gardens recently assisted a customer with their drainage challenge. Working with a noted Geologist/Professor, soil coring uncovered what is very common to homesites throughout this area…clay. While the homesite may appear to have some topsoil, the subsurface of clay collects and holds water every time it rains. How did we resolve the problem? A dry well. A dry well is a 30" x 48" hole that’s lined with geofabric, filled with free-draining stone and covered with mulch or topsoil and sod. The dry well helps water to get below the clay layer and dissipate. In areas with thick layers of clay, it supplies a reservoir to hold excess water until the water naturally seeps into the soil. Homes built in areas of Williamsburg with heavy clay soil, such as Ford’s Colony and Governor’s Land, could benefit greatly from dry wells.

Dry wells are also useful for drying out areas around air conditioners. The constant drip of condensation creates a wet, muddy area. Installing a drain box directly under the condensation drip and channeling the water via a drainpipe that ties into an existing drainage system (or to a dry well) solves the problem.

How much will this solution cost me? Over the last several months, Custom Gardens has successfully installed a number of dry wells for their customers. Depending on the location and site conditions, a dry well installation starts at $575.

Have the Dry Wells been effective? After each rainfall, owner Dale Bray has visited the dry well sites to inspect and evaluate their effectiveness. “They’re doing what they’re supposed to do,” says Dale. “If you or your neighbors have concerns with standing water, call us. We’d be more than happy to assess the situation and offer more specifics on a solution.”