Need some advice on a landscaping issue

I could use some help solving a landscaping issue. My home is a duplex. On one side I have the other duplex house connected, on the other I have a small business next door that is separated by a wooden fence line. I have about 8 feet of grass between the side of my house and the business parking lot/fence line. When we get rain, the rain water runs off from the business parking lot, which is about 6 - 10 inches above my property line. Additionally, the water from gutters deposit water in the same area. Combined with rain water, gutter run off, and the business property run off, the area quickly becomes flooded. Its not uncommon to have 6 inches of standing water, or more after heavy rains. To complicate matters more, I can't lay irrigation pipes to move the water forward or backward because I would have to move the water up a grade.

I'm not sure how to tackle the problem. I've lot about getting some dirt and gravel added to the area, but it would be a huge undertaking. I would have to raise my AC unit and it would affect the entrance to my home as well. I've attached pictures to explain the situation better. The pictures are deceiving, they don't really show the incline, its hard to see. I can try to add more photos or from different angles.

 

Welcome to the forums!

How long has the business been there? specifically how long has their parking lot been higher than your property. Have you discussed with the business owner about the feasibility of installing some sort of barrier to prevent their rain water from coming into your yard?

If you dug a ditch and filled it with large gravel is there someplace for the water to exit?

 

That's a problem. Are you above street level ?

 

I'm not sure which property was there first. My house was built in 1980 and I've only been here for 4 years or so. I don't know when they paved their parking lot. Part of my property is above street level, but then it dips down, right about the area where the pavers are in the photo. So I have trouble getting the water out of there. The business next door did lay down some gravel to help with the erosion, and its not like the water dumps in there, but once rain water falls, there is no place for it to go.

 

If you dug a sump to collect the water and utilized a pump - is there somewhere the water can go?

 

I guess I could pump the water up the front yard and into the street. I'm familiar with sump pumps for inside a home, but I've never seen one for outside. How do they work?

 

Most sump pumps are sealed and could be used inside or outside. One thing to keep in mind is if you're in a cold climate..... the sump pit could freeze damaging the pump. I helped a friend install a pit in his back yard. It's pumped over 125' to the street. I added a small submersible heater to keep it from freezing in the winter.

In your case if water in the winter isn't a problem... the pump can be removed. In your application... it would be easiest to dig in either a plastic sump pit or a pit made of block where the water can leach in from the ground and be pumped out. An almost identical install to inside the house except the pit will need to be covered with a removable grate for cleaning and service.

 

Before doing anything, I would speak with the municipality's planning or development Department and see if storm water run-off or drainage elevations were addressed when the permits were issued for your area.

 

I agree completely, Even a legacy issue like this should be resolved at the source, the business needs to address their water issue, you should not have to take steps to fix their problem,

 

Thanks for the tips. I will definitely contact the city and see if they'll do anything, but I don't see them siding with a resident over a business. I'll give them a shot. Despite this, I think the pump still is the solution. It seems the most economical over the business tearing up their parking lot, or me having loads of dirt and rock delivered.

 

If a pump system turns out to be the preferred, or only, solution the next question is who pays for the installation and maintenance on the system. Another huge question would be who pays for the electricity to run the pump.

 

It's not their job to side with anyone; just review the permits which may have been issued and whether final drainage elevations were ever defined . . . . and maybe, which parcel was developed first, meaning that the 2nd would have been expected to conform to conditions pre-existing with the first.

Simple municipal record keeping (or should be).