Building a drain to drain away garden rain water and also excess garden tap flow

[charles lewis]

Hello. I'd be grateful for advice. I have a small paved courtyard garden with an outdoor tap. Currently in heavy rain the water stands. There is no drain. I want to install a ground drain to drain away water during rainfall/tap use. The proposed drain hole would be ideally located at the lowest point of the garden which happens to be below the outdoor tap. The proposed drain hole in my garden is positioned about 10 yards from my neighbours garden ground level drain hole - he says I am welcome to lay a ground pipe to connect with his drain (in fact my roof drains to this already). I think there is sufficient fall to allow this option.

Alternatively, there is a sewer manhole located in my house about a yard away from the proposed drain position. This manhole take sewage waste at the moment.

What is the best option. Should I a) connect with my neighbours drain (10 yards away) or b) should I connect with my manhole (which at the moment only deals with sewage waste).

What kind of piping and special features e.g. (ubends?) should I install for the chosen option

Sorry if these are obvious questions.

Thank you

Charles Lewis

 

[stevetheplumber]

You shouldnt be draining surface water into the drainage systemm can you not drain it to a soak away on a grassed area?

 

[charles lewis]

Thanks for your response. There is no grassed area available. It is a small courtyard with an even smaller alleyway. All paved with paving blocks. The aim is not to drain all surface water away..some soaks naturally between paving blocks and I'm good with that. However, occassionally after a storm there is standing water which needs to be swept /drained away...and occassionally, there are buckets which need emptying etc. Can u explain why surface water should not be drained away (all the roof drainage is drained to the neighbours drain as mentioned)..if there is a rule against it and/or other good reasons, I'll reconsider the plan.

 

[petercj]

Paving blocks are usually laid on a bed of sand, with the gaps being filled with kiln dried sand.

After some years the gaps can get blocked with moss, dirt, etc. I use a power washer on mine every three years or so and blast out the moss and dirt from between the blocks - the blocks also come up like new. It's a filthy job but well worth doing.

If it's just a small amount of surface water, you might find that water jetting and refilling the gaps with kiln dried sand will be enough to allow the water to drain away. Kiln dried sand is more expensive than ordinary sand, but it fills the gaps fully, whereas builder's sand doesn't.

The blocks may well have been laid over a concrete foundation (the best way) so any drainage will be limited, but if it's just water puddling on the surface, jetting might cure the problem.