How to Make a Dry Well for Water Drainage

Drainage project requires digging.

Drainage problems in a yard or garden can have a variety of ramifications for the safety and condition of the yard and house. Standing water anywhere can provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects, it can be a hazard for pedestrians, and it can damage plants or lawn grass. If the standing water is near the house, the potential for problems can be even greater, from basement flooding to damage to the foundation of the house. A dry well can be a simple and cost effective way to move that water to a less inconvenient place and to allow it to drain into the ground properly.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Coarse gravel
• 4-inch black plastic landscaping pipe
• Large stones

Instructions

Digging the Trench

1. Dig a trench 2 feet deep and wide enough to hold the plastic drainage pipe with a few inches of clearance on either side. This trench should lead from the water you want to drain to a convenient low place on the property where you can dig the dry well, sloping down from the standing water as much as possible.

2. Fill the bottom of the trench with a few inches of coarse gravel.

3. Place the landscaping drain pipe on top of the gravel; then cover with more coarse gravel.

4. Cover most of the trench with topsoil over the gravel and replace the sod, if there is lawn where the trench has been dug. Leave open the end where the wet spot or standing water is and don't yet cover the end where you're going to dig the dry well. It's OK if the trench fills with water before you've dug your dry well.

Digging the Dry Well

1. Dig a hole approximately 4 feet in diameter and 4 feet deep at the outlet (the low end) of the trench. Water will likely start rushing into the dry well as you dig, but this is fine, it won't be sitting uncovered for long.

2. Fill the bottom 2/3 of the well with large stones, if available, or gravel, if not.

3. Fill all but the last few inches of the top 1/3 of the well with gravel.

4. Cover the well with topsoil. You can even plant shallow rooted annuals on top of the well, just be sure not to plant anything with deep roots there, as they will descend and start to fill up the well, and it won't hold as much water.

References

• Donnan.com: French Drain
• Easydigging.com: Drywell Design and Installation
• Family Handyman : How to Achieve Better Yard Drainage