We used to have some problems with water flowing up against or under our house, particularly during heavy rain. A solution to this is an “ag drain”, which is a trench that takes water wherever you want it to go. This article will explain how I built an ag drain that feeds into a pond, where we have a solar powered water pump keeping the pool of water from becoming stagnant and providing a nice little garden feature.
It's hard work, but you’ll need to mattock up the dirt to dig the trench. If you have a little motorized digger, then you’ll save plenty of time and also reduce the risk of injuring your back from mattocking. Before you dig, you should probably find out what pipes are underneath the ground by visiting a utilities information company like Dial Before You Dig.
The trench depth is dependant on the thickness of the ag-pipe you want to install. You don’t need a pipe to take the water away – you can just put “blue metal” rocks on the bed of the trench, but the most effective drains tend to have blue metal, with a “geofab” carpet lining laying on that, with a pipe laying on that, which is wrapped up in the geofab, before any excess blue metal is laid on that, before the earth that you dug up to make the trench is laid on that to finish. You’ll want the trench to be deep enough to fit all of that in and have the end result being that the soil on top is flush with the rest of the ground to avoid creating a trip hazard. When you buy the ag-pipe, it should have instructions on how deep the trench should be to fit the pipe in.
I managed to score a free hard plastic pond from a junk pile close to my place, but you can buy a similar one here, or buy a pond pump kit. Whatever the solution, you’ll have to dig a hole to have the pond rest in, below the end of the trench you dug prior. It can be a process of trial and error making sure that the pond hole is deep enough to let water flow into it, but not so deep that the rim of the pond is below the ground, where dirt can easily flow into the pond and muddy up the water and potentially clog the pump. With a hard plastic pond, you’ll have to cut a hole in a side so that you can fit the ag drain pipe end through it. I am still working on sealing the gaps between the pond wall and pipe so that the water level can reach the pond rim and not seep out, but I’m trying some thick foam glued with liquid nails to plug the hole and the water level remains stable for a time as a result.
The solar powered pond pump can be purchased here. If your water level is high enough you can use the heavy duty filter box, but if your water level is too low to fit that in, the pump on its own will suffice. Just make sure that the pump rests underneath the water level at all times, or the motor will take in air and potentially break. It’s like magic when the sun hits the solar panel and the fountain bursts into life.
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