There is a swale between mine any my neighbors property, established by the builder. In the backyards, the land is semi flat and is essentially a swamp, then leans towards the front of our properties where the swale is more pronounced. The issue is that runoff from a group of houses behind my and my neighbor's backyard flows our way turning the swale into a flowing river. We were thinking about putting a drain basin at the edge of our properties to catch this runoff from the other properties and maybe run some of this J-DRain SWD stuff in our backyards to absorb some of the sub-surface water. All water will be taken down hill, to the front of our property, discharged near the street.

1) Any opinions?
2) Anyone ever heard of or used J-DRain SWD? http://www.j-drain.com/resources/LAN...12breakout.pdf

 

The first issue is where will the water go? Water flows downhill. The product you linked does not "absorb" water or magically make it disappear. It's another version of a drainage pipe. If you install it you need to make sure you do it properly so that it has fall along it's entire length to it's outlet.

 

From what I see, the effectiveness of the system you propose is highly dependent on the type of soil and top soil you have in your yard. - Sand acts differently from clays/tight silts.

I live in a development that abuts another development and there is a long(about 600') swale between the 2 developments, but the drainage is a little more obvious than yours. For 2/3 of the length, it is an open free flowing drainage swale (usually dry) and the lower 200' feet is flatter and turns into a wider low, swampy area (tall swamp grass and whatever will grow). I was on the HOA board and very quickly found out that any changes are out of the question because the drainage was permitted and improved by the DNR and the county because changes could affect what was permitted and has worked and the changes could also affect anything downstream.

Your plans may not be a major change, but you never know what any authorities will say if that changes the run-off and temporary water storage (in and below ground) can have if the surface drainage is dumped into the street surface and someone complains. - Not likely, but somehow possible since you never know. As long as the deer wander through every morning and evening everyone in the 2 developments is happy so everyone is happy.

Dick

 

There are no issues with where the water is going, because it goes there naturally. I just want it to do so underground through a pipe for a 75' section, and dry out my lawn quicker. The product I linked will gather the sub-surface water in our yards and move it into the solid pipe, connected to the catch basin, which will run down hill to the front of our lot, into the swale.

Here is a drawing of the lot with contour lines and my plan. My house is marked 1181, with the front of it toward the street on the left in the photo. Hopefully that clears up what I'm trying to do. Pictures are much more clear than words in these cases. The water bends that way, towards the proposed catch basin because my neighbor (above me in the photo) has built up landscaping beds across the whole rear of his property in an attempt to try to channel the water, adding to my issues with it really, which is why I want it taken care of. I drew a generic oval to represent where the water comes from, but that area is not to be taken literally. It is to give a general idea. In reality the oval should cover more surface area, extending to the right, and obviously not oval shaped.

Oh and the soil is in SW OH. A lot of clay.

Thoughts? Anyone use hear of the J-DRain stuff?

 

Could there be a problem with the municipality, if you send the water to a storm drain?

 

No. I've read the county regulations. There are mainly only laws with disturbing other homeowners land. Anyways, I'm only moving the water further along where it naturally travels on our properties. It will eventually end up in the street, where it does naturally. Can we discuss the plans and the material I am questioning?

 

Yes, I thought that it was good idea to make sure that you didn't do all that work & spend money, for nothing.

I looked that the pdf that you linked. I don't know why that system would be any better than the using round flexible 4" pipe sold at Home Depot. If you used the perforated pipe, not all of the water will reach the street which is ok. It's your choice.

 

Greater permeability. Reduced ability to clog. Easier installation. I don't think you looked very hard. This will act the same as the perforated pipe. It is an open piece of plastic, a wall with studs, wrapped in a geotextile of some kind.

It kinda looks like:
|-
|-
|-
|-

Then wrapped up, making it rectangular.

 

Sorry but it doesn't impress me as innovative. It should work & the installation may be easier but that's about it. If you feel that it's a better deal, go for it. How does the price match with the pipe that I mentioned?

 

It is $200 for a 165' roll. A little less than 2x the cost when compared to the crappy corrugated stuff (if not this J-DRain stuff, I'd use rigid pipe with the holes which would cost more). There is also no rock to fuss with and easier trenching. Less time installing, where time = money of course. Amount of sand needed is < amount of rock needed for both types of perforated pipe = cost savings as well.

 

Ok, go for it. I would use that before rigid pipe.

 

The problem with the J-Drain is it appears impossible to clear if/when it does clog. A regular 4" pipe can be easily sleeved. They even make sleeves just for that purpose. If it ever does clog it's easy to clean out like any other sewer or drain line. And, a round pipe has the maximum area inside for the flow of water especially compared to a tall thin rectangle.

 

This is my only hesitation. That is also one of a few reasons why I'd use perforated rigid over perforated congregated pipe. From my research though, the pipe rarely clogs compared to the frequency of the filter cloth clogging. And I would be able to snake the main trunk in my design, as it is solid pipe, if crap enters from the basin. I've also found that professional organizations (like National Contract Management Association) are now against the use of pipe socks for clogging reasons with clay soils.

 

Yea, I don't use pipe socks. I bury the perforated pipe in clean gravel and put in clean outs just in case.

 

Has there been anyone on here with a positive or negative experience with these strip drains?

 

Does the silence indicate that there have been no accounts of anyone applying a product like this?

 

I honestly don't see the fascination or benefit of that product over other more traditional drainage methods.

 

Yep, I would say the silence is due to none of us having used the product. To me, that's deafening.