Topsoil usually has lots of air space, but in many locations topsoil is thin, often less than 3 inches thick. I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and the soil profile for much of the region is a very thin topsoil usually about inches thick. You immediately then encounter a dense brown or gray clay that doesn't drain at all.
This is the soil profile at my last house in Cincinnati, OH. Look how thin the topsoil is - it's barely 4 inches just below the grass in the upper left corner of the photo. You can see the two distinct dense-clay glacial soils above the footing on the far wall.
The medium-brown soil was deposited by the Wisconsin Continental Glacier that left the area about 12, years ago. The dark-brown soil beneath it was from the Illinoisian Continental Glacier that left the area about , years ago. I moved to central New Hampshire in and the soil here is completely different.
It's amazing sandy well-drained soil. The rich topsoil is also just a few inches deep in most locations but the subsoil under it has a tremendous amount of sand in it and water flows readily through it to the bedrock below. There are many clear-running springs throughout the area created by these soil conditions. You should deal with water exactly as Mother Nature does. She allows water to flow overland or soak into the soil. Roof water should be piped to the lowest spot on your lot as far away from your house as is practical.
Installing downspout drain lines is easy in shallow trenches. Subsurface water moving through the topsoil or in sandy subsoil can be captured and diverted around your home using a trench drain or linear french drain.
Dry wells are drainage structures that leach rain water from parking lots, roads, buildings, roof water, bridges, or a house roof or driveway into the ground. Home dry wells can also be utilized to leach laundry water into the ground. They can consist of precast concrete ring or multiple rings depending on the capacity needed or the depth which is needed to reach good sand for sufficient drainage.
These precast rings are made in different diameters that also effect drainage capacity. On top of the precast ring or rings is a top which can be a dome or a slab with a smaller access hole in it. That hole is covered with either a steel manhole cover and brought to grade for access or a concrete cover that is buried below ground.
If the cover is below ground, it will eventually need to be accessed at some point in it's life for maintenance. Dry wells are very similar to a cesspool with two key differences. One difference is obviously what waste water it's being used to leach. The second difference is in the way they are maintained.
Dry wells receive garbage, bottles, foliage, sand, salt, car parts, animals, concrete, bricks, and anything that rain water can flush into a drainage system.
This can build thick layers of garbage on the bottom which can quickly backup the dry well and start flooding issues. Dry wells require a specific type of industrial vacuum truck to service these drainage systems.
These trucks can suck up concrete blocks, bricks, dry dirt, heavy mud a few feet thick. They are very expensive and complicated machines that require a lot of maintenance and knowledge to keep them running. Where cesspools require a different type of custom vacuum truck to service cesspool and septic systems as well as grease traps. These trucks suck water, floating scum, and sludge from the bottom. A spot where the water drains away quickly might be a good candidate for a dry well; while homeowners who have heavy clay soil on the property and slower drainage will likely need to find a different option for moving storm water.
Additional dry wells may be necessary if elements of your landscape are creating a drainage problem, such as runoff from a driveway or large patio. Ideally, dry wells should be large enough to collect runoff without overflowing in typical rain events. They run the gamut from inexpensive hand-dug pits lined with permeable landscape fabric and packed with rocks to high-end perforated concrete or polyethylene tanks.
No matter style what you choose, you can cover a dry well with turf for camouflage or an open grate for easy monitoring. To keep the water from cutting a rut after it leaves the downspout, you can install a simple swale a trench filled with gravel leading to the collection pit or a French drain. Your project should also include provisions for dispersing excess water that occurs during rain events that cause your dry well to overflow, such as an overflow pipe that leads to a storm sewer.
Call DigSafe at to find the location of buried utilities before digging, and contact your local building authority to see if you need a permit. Alas, the only remedy for a clogged dry well is re-excavating and repacking the pit. Before you even encounter such a hassle of a problem, however, you can help prolong the useful life of your dry well by regularly cleaning gutters and down spouts to eliminate grime and debris early on—before they even reach the pit.
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