Draining the area with your own hands. How to make drainage in a summer cottage with your own hands - a step-by-step guide to drainage with photos and videos

Excessive amount of water on a plot of land prevents normal farming and gradually destroys structures. Excess water contributes to the leaching of nutrients from the soil, causing salinization of the soil, and it washes away the roots of trees and the foundations of buildings. That is why every owner who is faced with a similar problem needs to know how to drain the area. This is a rather labor-intensive, but do-it-yourself task.

Selecting a method

You can dry the area with several different ways. Before choosing any specific one, you need to consider the following points:

1. Water permeability of the soil on the site.
2. Dimensions and shape of the pit.
3. Required level of water reduction.
4. The period for which it is necessary to drain the land from groundwater.
5. The presence of buildings and various types of structures on the site.
6. Groundwater direction.

It is possible to organize surface drainage of groundwater. In this case, they will penetrate through the slopes and bottom of the pit into drainage ditches, and then be transported to pits, from which they will be pumped out using pumps. When organizing such a system on fine-grained soils, a mixture of sand and gravel is used to fill drainage ditches.

It is possible to organize groundwater drainage without the use of pipes. Deep trenches are being dug. They must be filled with filter material. Most often, coarse sand and crushed stone are used for this. The material is covered in several layers of different fractions. In addition, peat must be used. It will protect the backfill from contamination.

Decorative pool for collecting atmospheric waters with personal plot^ 1 – water-loving plants; 2 – covering the site and path with natural stone; 3 – pool bowl; 4 – bench; 5 – weeping willow; 6 – stones-boulders; 7 – water filling pipe (fountain); 8 – step slabs.

The pipe drainage device for groundwater is organized using polymer pipes with a perforated surface. The pipe is laid in the ground below the freezing level. Holes are made along it to collect water.

If it is necessary to lower the groundwater level by 3-5 m, lightweight wellpoint systems are usually used. This system is based on a pipe with a wellpoint at the end.

It connects to the vacuum manifold and pump. If it is necessary to reduce the groundwater level by a large amount, such installations are arranged in several tiers.

Wellpoint installations may include ejector water lifts. The ejectors are driven by the action of a jet of water, which is pumped by the collector. Using such installations, it is possible to lower the groundwater level by 20 m.

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Water drainage

Before you start designing a system for draining groundwater, you need to decide where it will be drained. There are several options available to choose from.

A savings system can be organized. This is the best option for regions with large seasonal fluctuations in humidity. For example, during a wet spring, water will accumulate, and in a dry summer it will be used for irrigation. Groundwater will be collected in containers specially designed for this purpose. They can be left on the surface or buried if desired. Water can also be collected in an artificial reservoir, but this requires more serious material and labor costs.

If your village has general system water drainage, it makes sense to organize the drainage of groundwater into such a system. If there is free territory around the site, water can be diverted there, but in most cases this is impractical.

If there are no options for draining water, it will have to be stored. For this purpose, special tanks are brought to the site. As the tanks fill, the cesspool truck is called in and they are emptied.

Quite often, land owners combine several methods. For example, in the spring they accumulate water in reservoirs, use it in the summer for irrigation, and in the fall they divert what is not needed.

As a rule, the need for groundwater drainage appears only on loamy and clayey soils. Sandy soils themselves perform the function of drainage.

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Step-by-step instruction

In order to organize a traditional drainage system, you will have to carry out a large amount of excavation work and invest a lot of money. However, all this allows us to obtain a semi-automatic system. In a couple of weeks, the water will collect on its own in the drainage well; as it accumulates, the owner will pump it into a ditch, storage tank, or nearby free area such as a forest, field, or ideally a natural reservoir. It is important that the water level in the drainage well does not exceed the desired height of groundwater on the site. Otherwise, the water simply will not drain.

However, most owners, in order to save money, use a different method of organizing groundwater drainage. It is more cost effective but less efficient than a traditional drainage system. When choosing this method, you need to be prepared for high labor costs during operation.

To install a groundwater drainage system, you need to prepare the following:

1. Shovels for digging trenches.
2. A wheelbarrow.
3. Construction level and staff.
4. Hacksaw.
5. Drainage pipes, fittings and couplings.
6. Manual tamper.
7. Wells for drainage.
8. Crushed stone, sand, geotextiles.

First, you need to dig parallel trenches around the site at a distance of 4-6 m from each other. The specific step depends on the density of the soil. If the soil is heavy, trenches should be made in smaller increments. Select a location for the drainage well. The entire system must be made with a smooth slope in the direction of the well so that water flows into it by gravity. Use a building level to check the slope.

The ends of the trenches located below the level must be connected to each other with a new trench and taken to the drainage well. The new trench should also be located at a slope in the direction of this well. If connecting them according to this scheme does not work, you will have to install several drainage wells.

The bottom of the trenches is filled with a mixture of gravel (crushed stone) and river sand. A layer 30-50 mm thick will be sufficient. Drainage pipes are being laid. Typically used polymer pipes with holes along the length. To prevent these holes from becoming clogged during operation, the pipes must be wrapped in geotextile. You can also use a more durable analogue of geotextiles - coconut fiber.

After laying the pipes, the trenches must be filled to the top with a mixture of crushed stone and sand. Everything must be arranged so that the pipes do not come into contact with the soil. They need to be surrounded on all sides with a mixture of crushed stone and sand.

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Drying system

Based on the height of the plants, you can determine the depth of groundwater.

Instead of a large-scale system, point drainage can be organized. For this purpose, holes with a depth of 2 m are prepared throughout the site. The distance between holes is 6 m. In most cases, it is enough to drain only some areas of the site, but this depends on the specific conditions.

The bottom of the holes is filled with the same mixture of crushed stone and sand. Sections of drainage pipe are wrapped in coconut fiber (geotextile) and inserted vertically into the holes. The bottom of the segments also needs to be plugged with geotextiles. Select a pipe of such diameter that your drainage pump can easily pass through it. The diameter of the hole also depends on the diameter of the pipe wrapped in geotextile - it should be about 10 cm larger.

Such a system requires regular participation of the owner. On average, once every 1-2 weeks you will need to take a drainage pump, place it in each hole and pump out the water. The work is simple and takes little time.

If the purchased country plot is located on a peat bog, its owners will have to carry out a number of works to improve the soil on it. The land in such places, unfortunately, cannot be considered too suitable for growing various types of agricultural crops. The soil in peatlands contains very little oxygen, which replaces methane. Also, such areas in spring and autumn turn into a real swamp due to flooding. How to drain peat land if necessary - we’ll talk about this later in the article.

Ways to improve

In some cases, the problem of swampy land can be solved very in a simple way- by adding a certain amount of soil brought from outside. But, of course, this technique can only be used when water is collected on the site due to the fact that it is located in a lowland and has a relatively small size. In all other cases, water must be drained from the allotment.

The answer to the question of how to drain an area, in this case, can be two technologies:

superficial;

with pipe laying.

The first method is considered the simplest. It will be absolutely easy to do open drainage in a wetland with your own hands. But by using pipes, you can create a more efficient drainage system.

Drainage using ditches

This method is a good answer to the question of how to drain a swamp on a peat bog. The advantage of this method, among other things, is that when using it, owners will not have to spend a penny on draining water from the site. For drainage in this case, along the edge of the plot on the side that is located below the others, a ditch about 50 cm wide and at least 1 m deep is dug.

If there is a slightly higher, also marshy neighboring area nearby, a trench should be made on the border with it. This will block access to water from someone else's plot.

Subsequently, during the implementation of various types of channels on the site, it will be necessary to fill with all kinds of construction and garden waste. This could be, for example, stones, broken bricks, weeds, etc.

Advantages of using pipes

The open method of draining water through ditches is simple and inexpensive. However, this technique is used only in areas that are not very wet. In all other cases, it is advisable to equip the plots with full-fledged drainage systems using perforated pipes.

The answer to the question of how to drain a swamp in a garden, this technology in most cases is simply ideal. The advantages of such outlet networks, among other things, include:

more uniform and rapid regulation of water balance in the soil;

possibility of covering absolutely the entire area of ​​the site.

When using this method, the hoses pass underground. Thanks to this, the usable area of ​​the site is not reduced. When growing garden crops on such an allotment, beds can also be made directly above the pipes.

How to set up a closed system

In this case, ditches are also first dug on the site to drain water. In this case, the main trench is located around the perimeter of the plot. Next, ditches are dug across the area of ​​the site.

When using this drainage method, a waterproofing agent is placed at the bottom of dug trenches - a thick film or roofing material. Next, pour a layer of medium-sized crushed stone or pebbles into the ditches. Perforated pipes are laid on top. To prevent the holes of such drainage lines from becoming clogged in the future, they are pre-wrapped with geotextiles.

Connect pipes at the points of convergence or intersection of ditches using tees or elbow fittings. Above these network elements in mandatory Manholes made of plastic or concrete are installed. If there are such additions in the system, in the future it will be very easy to remove blockages that appear in the lines and clean them of accumulated sludge.

What you need to know

Of course, in order for the water to subsequently leave the area through the pipes by gravity, they must be laid at a slope. Otherwise, it will not be possible to drain the plot. Unfortunately, it is impossible to install drainage network lines at too great a slope. In this case, the pipes will subsequently silt very quickly. It is also not worth making the slope of the drainage channels very small. Otherwise, the system will subsequently work ineffectively.

In most cases, when installing garden sewage networks, pipes are laid at an angle of 0.5 to 3 cm per linear meter. There is no need to deviate from these parameters up or down.

Reception well

Thus, we found out how to drain the area using pipes. But where can you put the excess water itself? You can drain it from the site, if it is located on the outskirts, simply beyond its aisles - into some ravine, stream or pond. But if there are neighboring plots next to the wet garden, a special well will have to be installed to receive wastewater. If desired, such a container can be built in a remote area. After all, the water collected during drainage can subsequently be used to water the same beds.

Reception wells are installed at the lowest point of a suburban area using the following technology:

a hole is dug in the ground into which the main drainage trench is inserted;

The bottom and walls of the pit are concreted with a layer of 5-10 cm.

Of course, when pouring concrete structures of a well, holes should be provided for installing pipes.

Instead of a concrete structure, when arranging drainage system You can also use plastic. It will be easy to purchase such a container from companies specializing in the supply of equipment for drainage systems.

Reception pond

In most cases, owners of vegetable gardens on peat bogs build, of course, a well for water drainage. But instead, if you wish, you can make an artificial pond on the site - a beautiful decorative pond. In this case, a pit is also first dug in the ground, but wider.

The bottom and walls of the pit for arrangement on the site of an artificial reservoir are thoroughly cleaned of roots and stones. Next, the pit is lined with durable waterproofing material - preferably a thick film. Drainage pipes are led into the pond through holes in the film. You can disguise them at the bottom, for example, with beautiful stones or some aquatic plants. In summer, it will be possible to release unpretentious fish from the aquarium into this reservoir. Spectacular marsh plants are usually planted around the pond.

Main difficulty

In principle, as you might have noticed, the answer to the question of how to drain an area of ​​water with your own hands is quite simple. The most difficult task in this case will most likely be physically difficult excavation. After all, there are actually a lot of ditches that will have to be dug on the site. However, in order for such a system to work as efficiently as possible, trenches on the site, of course, should first of all be in the right places.

It is best, of course, to entrust the project of arranging the drainage system of a swampy plot to a specialist. A professional will be able to take into account all the nuances of the relief of a given area. However, drainage system projects in suburban areas are, unfortunately, quite expensive. If you don’t have the money to order a pipe laying plan, you can try to develop it yourself. To find out where the best place to dig drainage trenches is, you will have to wait until the first heavy rain. By observing the flows flowing along the ground, it will be possible to quite accurately determine the optimal location of the trenches.

How to drain a swamp: using moisture-loving plants

Of course, in most cases, draining a wetland can only be done in drastic ways - by constructing ditches or laying pipes. But as an additional measure, such a garden should also include plants that draw a lot of water from the ground. These could be, for example, willows, birches or maples. Such trees, since they are significant in height, are, of course, usually planted on the northern side of the plot. Otherwise, in the future they will block the plantings, which, in turn, can easily lead to a decrease in the yield of garden and vegetable crops.

The high groundwater level in the area can also be reduced with the help of shrubs. For example, hawthorn, rose hips, bladderwort, and shadberry can take a lot of water from the soil. Such plants can be planted around the perimeter of the site to create a hedge.

Methane in soil

Of course, after drainage by open drainage or by laying pipes, the soil on the site in any case will become more suitable in composition for growing vegetable and garden crops. But in order to further improve its quality, site owners will have to:

sprinkle a thin layer of a mixture of clay and sand over the area;

carefully dig up the plot using a shovel or, preferably, a motor cultivator.

Of course, a very good solution would be to scatter manure mixed with sawdust around the site before digging, in addition to clay and sand. This will not only improve the structure of the soil, but also make it more fertile and nutritious. Adding various types of mineral fertilizers to the soil will also make it more suitable for growing garden and garden plants.

Pros of peat bogs

So, we found out how to drain a plot of water with our own hands and improve the soil on it. Such an allotment can, of course, cause a lot of trouble for its owner. However, peat bogs, in comparison with other types of soil, also have their advantages. For example, in such areas, plants usually tolerate winters much better. The soil on peat bogs freezes slowly, in thin layers. At the same time, the soil on such plots never freezes too deeply. So on such a plot after draining it, you can plant, for example, heat-loving roses, apricots, etc.

Hello!

In the spring we purchased a gardening plot. Although it was already melting with might and main, there was no water on the site, so they decided that the site was located in a good place. There were no large trees on the site, but this was because they were simply cut down, leaving large stumps: birch, spruce and aspen. The entire area is covered with young growth, the same birches, aspens, and several fir trees. There were also rowan trees and even one wild fruit-bearing apple tree. Therefore, we concluded that it was definitely not a swamp.

Since we wanted to quickly uproot everything, we hired an excavator. Before that, they cut down everything that could be used for firewood. The excavator operator suggested this option - he drives into the area, pulls out all the stumps, digs a large hole in the corner, shovels the stumps there, fills the hole, levels everything - voila, a flat area. He argued that he had already done this many times, everything was fine.
Well, that’s pretty much how it all turned out, but not everything. The guy turned out to be quick, he didn’t wait for our arrival, but did everything alone. According to him, when he began to dig a hole for the stumps, water rushed into it. He still heroically dug it up and shoveled the stumps there. During this time, the soil began to get wet, the excavator began to get stuck, and the man decided not to tempt fate any longer - he left, leaving everything as it was.
The parents went to the site and were completely shocked by what they saw - everything was dug up, in the part far from the road there was a huge pile of clay, next to it there was a huge puddle, as they say, over the edge. The excavator operator agreed to come again and level the pile of clay; he did it, but not completely. In addition, getting back through the ditch from the road, he decided to “clean it up” and dug another hole in the place of the ditch. How it looks now - in photographs.

What we have now. The plot is 25 by 40 meters, a narrow part from the road. From the road south-southwest. Near the road there is a section about half a meter below the road, then the section gradually decreases towards the far edge. We didn’t measure it exactly, but somewhere around half a meter, or a little more. The neighbors to the left and right have their own plots, their plots are half a meter higher. The section next to us seems to have a gradual rise. So it turns out that our site is located in a local lowland, everything that surrounds it is higher and higher. In general, the terrain in gardening is not completely flat, for example, a few areas away from ours the soil level is noticeably lower, but it is quite dry there.
The ditch from the road is now wide and filled with water almost to the brim; there is no outflow from it towards the neighbors. There are no other ditches around the site. The fertile layer (what is left of it after the tractor) is about 20 cm, then there is yellow clay with rare small stones. Now, next to the pile of clay left after digging a hole for stumps, there is a huge puddle, I don’t know how deep it is, and I don’t know if the ill-fated hole is in its place.

What you want to get as a result: a leveled area, possibly with a slope, on which there will never be long-term puddles. It is planned to build a house for 4 people on the site. At the same time, there must be a fertile layer sufficient for a vegetable garden (parents cannot imagine a plot without a vegetable garden)

The hole with stumps is especially troubling. After all, in essence, the result is a large cavity filled with a loose structure, without drains. It will never be dry there. Maybe it makes sense to take out the stumps from it, fill the hole with clay, and then top it with fertile soil?
And if all the neighbors raised their plots, it turns out that we also have no choice but to raise ours?

Sorry for the long presentation, I just want to get valuable advice on how to improve the situation.

Some summer residents sleep and dream of how to bring water to their plot, while others - on the contrary, how to take it somewhere far away. Moreover, in the second case, it can be much more difficult to realize what is planned.

Fatal mistake

When buying a dacha, my wife and I made a major mistake - we looked at the plot in the winter (a very tempting price was indicated in the ad), and the seller, of course, only praised it. And in the spring it turned out that it was sort of in a lowland, and therefore, because of the melt water, everything turned into a solid swamp. It’s funny to say: it was difficult to get from home to the toilet in rubber boots. And the barn almost floated away to the neighbors...

I had to accept urgent measures to drain the site .

In a hurry, on a whim, I decided to dig ditches to drain water around the perimeter of the garden and even between the ridges. It seemed to work out: the flood subsided, the ground more or less dried out, and the wife sowed a lot of things. We rejoiced at our successes and spent all our free time in the garden. And then the rains came, and again we had to get into our boots, because all the carefully dug trenches overflowed with water and the flood (albeit on a smaller scale) repeated.

Then I realized my second mistake: I didn’t pay any attention to the fact that our soil is loam, and therefore all the water in the ditches stands rooted to the spot, not being absorbed into the soil. It even started to bloom.

It took about a month and a half to correct this miscalculation. To begin with, I drew a plan for the future drainage system, divided the garden into plots, drove in pegs and began work. And again I almost got into trouble: I didn’t take into account that I had to think about the place where the water would come out, and almost ruined all the work that had started. Okay, I got over it.

I’ll say right away that you need to agree with your neighbors in advance so that they don’t experience any inconvenience from your drainage work, otherwise you might make enemies.

My neighbor Nikolai kindly allowed me to bring the drainage pipe into his drain from. He praised my “geodetic” research and suggested what to do next.

It turned out that there is no need to dig wide trenches at all - narrow and deep ones are enough. Especially for this work, I attached a long handle to the shovel. I dug alone, my wife helped whenever possible - she pulled away the earth. In general, the work was not that hard, it was just tedious.

The soil had to be placed in garden wheelbarrow and take it under the shed near the barn, otherwise the first rain that came would have turned everything into dirty slurry. Well, nothing, as they say, if you put it further away, you will take it closer. Again, at Nikolai’s prompting, I dug trenches to a solid layer: if you stop earlier, the water will stand under the drainage.

Cute grilles

For a long time I couldn’t think of anything to do with planting shrubs. Either the previous owners specially added clay to get rid of weeds, or they didn’t pay any attention to the berry fields at all. After some thought, I decided to completely remove the clay soil and add good fertile soil.

To drain water from the barn and gazebo, I left already dug ditches, only slightly increased the slope of the bottom and lined them with pieces of roofing felt. And I had to tinker with the house more. I combined the grooves dug around the perimeter of the foundation into one and also reinforced the bottom with roofing felt. Of course, the harmony was broken, and in order to hide the grooves, I covered them on top with gratings knocked together from bars. It turned out very nice, especially on the porch. My wife put all sorts of flower pots right on the grilles, and now it seems that everything has always been like this.

I decided to strengthen the bottom of the trenches in the garden using a homemade sledgehammer with a long handle.

And then - the highlight of the whole project - he poured ordinary crushed stone and crushed brick there. I laid pipes on the resulting coating. I wrapped the joints with rubber from bicycle inner tubes and tightened them with wire. And he covered everything on top with fertile soil.

Yes, all these ditches with pipes are reduced to one main drain, and that, accordingly, goes to the drain on the border with neighbor Nikolai. We now have it in common with him. I suggested covering it with a lattice too. Kolya really liked this idea. Now on this lattice we have a whole fabulous clearing of giant mushrooms cut out by a neighbor from logs (my wife, getting emotional, gave old bowls for hats for them).

I would like to drain the area...

Of course, I am not a master, but I am proud that I did everything myself. It was a little clumsy, but the next year everything somehow straightened out by itself and the places where the pipes were laid became invisible. And most importantly, our swamp has disappeared! It cannot be said that after the rains it is completely dry, but the water quickly seeps in and goes away. It doesn’t stand at all under the bushes, although I just left small grooves there towards the slope.

Every spring I come to the garden immediately after the snow melts and check the operation of my drainage system. I can’t say that everything remains at a high level; here and there we have to make adjustments and dig temporary trenches, but the design itself does not fail. But it was worth working without extension just once!

And now our site is already six years old, and it’s impossible to say that there used to be a swamp here. During this time, we became friends with Nikolai’s family, we even removed the common fence, and we are thinking of starting a small pond.

Well, are we masters now or not? The most important thing I wanted to say is that simple drainage in the garden can be done by yourself, if only you have the desire.

©Vladimir Vasilievich PLETNEV, Kolchugino Vladimir.

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Rising groundwater often leads to flooding of the local area, garden or vegetable garden. Excess moisture contributes to soil leaching, as a result of which the foundation sags and the house collapses. Constant dampness hinders development cultivated plants, provokes the growth of lichens and mold.

The question arises, how to drain an area of ​​groundwater if the water has nowhere to go? To prevent such a phenomenon, it is necessary to make drainage in an area with a high groundwater level (GWL). A number of reclamation works on the site can be done with your own hands, using purchased materials and improvised means.

Thawed or rainwater passes through the top aquifer, reaches the waterproof layer (clay) and along its depressions rushes to the lowest point - there a zone of excess moisture is formed. When the drains of an impermeable layer cannot cope with large volumes of precipitation, the upper layers of the soil are overflowing with moisture, and groundwater rises. Their effect is especially destructive if there is fine sand above the waterproof clay: in this case, quicksand can form.

An external inspection of the structures and terrain will help to assess the condition of the local area in terms of the proximity of groundwater. The following facts indicate the rise of the water horizon and the need for drainage:

• plaster is falling off the walls, door and window frames are warping, glass is missing visible reasons cracks appear - this is evidence of a loss of strength due to the leaching of calcium from the cement;
• there is a constant smell of dampness - it accompanies mold, which negatively affects wooden and concrete structures and harmful to health;
• the territory is being developed by nettles, coltsfoot, horsetail, hemlock, reeds, wormwood, and licorice;
• the number of mosquitoes, snails and frogs has increased, snakes have appeared;
• The basement or cesspool is filled with water.

If you need to check an empty building plot, a test sounding will help clarify the situation with the water supply system. The data obtained on the composition and quality of the soil will give an accurate answer to the question of whether the site needs to be drained . This is usually recommended when groundwater occurs at a depth of 1-2 meters. Open and closed drainage channels, arrangement of a drainage pond, making artificial embankments, and pumping with a special drainage pump will help lower their level.

Open system

To partially drain an area with a high groundwater level, you can equip a simple network of drainage ditches laid along the entire perimeter of the territory and between the ridges. Rain and melt water are collected in shallow drainage channels, sent to the main canal, and then transported to a drainage well or absorbed into the soil outside the site.

Here are the basic rules for making open drainage with your own hands:

1. The main trenches are dug to a depth of at least 40 cm, additional ones are enough to be deepened to 15 cm. The width of the channels depends on their location, usually it is 1/3 of the depth. Be sure to maintain a slight slope of the system to ensure gravity flow.
2. Near buildings and various structures, the channel is deepened in relation to the foundation and supporting elements by 25-30 cm.
3. Since the walls of the ditches are not reinforced in any way, they cannot be dug along the perimeter of the structures so that the foundation does not deform over time.

Open drainage cannot drain groundwater - it only prevents oversaturation of aquifers with atmospheric moisture. The disadvantage of this option is the reduction in the usable area for planting crops.

An improved version of the open system is backfill drainage. The trenches are covered with a wide strip of geotextile, and coarse gravel is filled up to half the depth. The ditch is filled with fine gravel from above, not reaching the soil level by 10-15 cm. The edges of the geotextile are folded, sand or gravel chips are poured on top of it.

Closed system

This option ensures effective drainage of groundwater and can significantly reduce humidity in an area with high groundwater level. The system is a network of drains - pipes buried below the soil freezing line (so that there are no gusts in winter) and connected to a drainage well.

Work on drainage arrangement is carried out in this order.

1. Layout. The optimal “route” for water drainage is drawn. Pipes should run along the perimeter of buildings and in the spaces between trees. When draining a garden plot with a high groundwater level, make sure that there is at least 2.5 m to the trunks. The position of the drainage well is indicated on the plan: it should be in the lower position.
2. Marking the site according to the plan. It is performed using pegs and twine.
3. Digging trenches. They are located below the freezing line of the soil, and for drainage of the building - below the base of its foundation by 15 cm.
4. Making a sand cushion. A layer of coarse sand (10-15 cm) is poured into the bottom of the ditches, filled with water, but not compacted too much. The upper edge of the pillow is formed according to the level, maintaining a constant slope of 1-2 mm per 1 meter - from the top point to the well.
5. Laying geotextiles. Its width margin is 25 cm on each side.
6. Filling the filter layer with gravel (5-10 cm).
7. Pipe laying. You will need ready-made polymer corrugated products in a geotextile shell (protection against silting). For main channels, pipes of 100 mm are needed, and for auxiliary channels - 75 mm. It is advisable to do the installation in a herringbone pattern. At all turns of the route, sand trap wells are installed, into which the ends of the pipes are inserted, but not connected to containers (to make it easier to clean the system).
8. Backfilling the filter layer. The space of the ditches is filled with large and medium gravel, not reaching the ground level by 20-30 cm.
9. Covering the system. The gravel is covered with the free edges of the geotextile and covered with gravel chips or soil left over from digging the trench.

To prevent clogging of the perforation with clay particles and salt deposits, the system is washed every 2-3 years by running water from a hose into it under pressure.

Raising the area

If even deep drainage does not help to completely get rid of the negative manifestations of ground water, you will have to start grading and backfilling an area with a high groundwater level.

This method is expensive, but provides a real and lasting effect. Regardless of the height of the site, the work plan is approximately the same.

1. Territory planning. A detailed plan of the site is drawn up, indicating the elevation level, the location of the surface aquifer, and the thickness of the fertile layer. This will help determine where, how much and what exactly to add. If the geology of the area is complex (swampiness is combined with a high groundwater level, there is a clay layer or voids), it is better to entrust the planning to a specialist.
2. Demolition of old buildings (if any).
3. Clearing the area. It is freed from vegetation, debris, and the roots are uprooted.
4. Laying the drainage system (if it does not already exist). Backfilling alone will not solve the problem of excess moisture. It still needs to be diverted using the closed or open method described earlier.
5. Filling the area. Around the territory they lay a low strip foundation so that the added material is not washed away by rain. After the concrete has hardened, materials are poured layer by layer (10-15 cm each). Each layer is compacted using a vibrating rammer. After laying all the lower layers, they are left for a couple of weeks for natural shrinkage of 2-3 cm, only then comes the turn of fertile soil. To prevent the layers from mixing, they are separated by geotextiles.

To consolidate the backfill, the area is sown with cereal crops with a branched root system.

Here are answers to the most popular questions from readers regarding land reclamation and drainage structures.

1. What material is best to cover the area?

For a rise of 20-30 cm in a small area, fertile soil can be used. If a meter-long layer of bedding is required, the base is made of compacted sand, secondary crushed stone or broken brick is placed in the middle (for drainage), and soil is laid on top. On beds and lawns you can do without crushed stone; instead of soil, paths and platforms are sprinkled with excavated soil. Experts believe that it is better to place soil from the site down. This prevents the heavy crushed stone from sinking into the light sand or the light sand from sliding off the loam.

1. Are they suitable for closed deep drainage asbestos or used steel pipes?

It is better to use special drainage pipes for drainage of groundwater with ready-made holes and wrapped with geofabric. Other product options quickly become clogged and the drainage fails. As a last resort, take asbestos-cement pipes with a diameter of at least 100-150 mm. To allow water to flow into them, holes are drilled or cuts are made, and to avoid silting, they are wrapped in geofabric.

1. What material can be used for drainage instead of crushed stone?

In open systems it can be replaced with bundles of brushwood. Bunches with a diameter of 30 cm are formed as follows: large branches are placed in the center, and small twigs are placed on the outside. Moss is laid on top of the laid mats. On peat soils, such a system remains operational for up to 20 years.

1. Is it possible to artificially lower the groundwater level?

To reduce the level of excess moisture to 5 m, a wellpoint filter unit is used. It includes a ground vacuum manifold for releasing water, pumps to reduce its pressure and vertical pipes, at the ends of which wellpoints are located. Sometimes expensive complexes with injection water lifts are used, which can increase the depth of groundwater to 20 m.

1. Is it necessary to make a drainage well?

A well is convenient because water can be taken from it for irrigation or other needs. There is a pipe at the top from which water flows out when the container is full. If there is free space on the site, the role of a drainage reservoir can be played by a small pond, the bottom of which is filled with crushed stone and a sand-gravel mixture. Around the drainage pond you can plant moisture-loving plants and equip a recreation area.