Should I install a backyard pond with a sump pump to prevent flooding?
Our yard collects all of the neighbours water when it rains and we frequently have flooding in our back yard. A friend suggested having a small pond with a sump pump so when water levels were high, the sump pump would pump the extra water out to the street. We already have drainage pipes but it doesn't take all the water away when high rainfall etc. Any ideas?
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Get yourself one of the plastic pond liners and go for it! Just dig out a hole deep enough to accomodate fish and plants - +- 3 feet, lay the liner, put rocks around the outside edges, buy a cheap little pond pump from your big box store and you're in business. Trust me, you won't regret it! There is nothing like the sound of dropping water while you're relaxing in your yard!
Find out if you would be allowed to pump water into the street before going with that solution. Some municipalities do not allow water to be diverted into municipal storm drains. By pumping water into the street you would be sending it to the nearest storm drain.
The simplest fix may be a rain garden. This is a low spot that collects water and allows the water to sink into the soil. A rain garden uses plants that tolerate temporary wet feet, but also tolerate drier conditions. Here is a link to a plant list: http://raingardenalliance.org/planting/plantlist And here is an article on building a rain garden: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/spaces/rain-garden-design.htm
Not everyone wants to care for a garden, so an alternative is a dry well, which collects surface water and allows it to filter into the ground. Do a percolation test to see if your soil drains sufficiently well. Dig a 4' deep post hole in the spot where you want to put the dry well. Fill the hole with water and allow the water to drain down and out into the soil. When the hole is empty add another 5 gallons and measure the water depth. Check the hole an hour later and note how much the water level has dropped. Drainage of 1/2" is good, but as long as the water drains in 24 hours the dry well may work. If you live in an area with a lot of rain you could need a series of dry wells. Do a search for rain garden in your city/state. Should your hole fill with water on its own you have too high a water table for a dry well to work. Here is how one person put in a dry well. https://www.instructables.com/id/55-gallon-barrel-dry-well/
Check with your municipality. In some areas - pumping water into the gutters to be carried out via the street drains is not allowed.
Yes, Mindshift had the right idea a rain garden! A rain garden is environmentally friendly as you use plants that are native to your area and native plants have deep root systems that will soak up the water and filter it before it gets to the groundwater. Native plants are also great bird, bee, and butterfly attractors. You can check with your local conservation district or county extension office and they can help you find plants that are native to your area, they may also be of help with design and instillation of your rain garden. Rain gardens are wonderful, I love mine. Bee friendly plant nativeš