The backyard in my townhouse seems to flood and retain water every time it rains for over 3 days so the soil is always muddy. There is no proper levelling where the water pooling occurs. The grass is dying due to this. The drain is centred but the water is not flowing downwards towards it. The slope of the yard is toward the house, and not away from the house. The neighbour’s townhouse has artificial turf which might be causing this extra level of water.
Hi @vdesaram,
The first step would be to have a licensed plumber inspect the underground pipes running to the rainwater tank. As the pooling appears to be concentrated around that area, a cracked or leaking pipe could be contributing significantly to the saturated soil.
If the pipes are sound and the issue is caused by poor drainage or excess groundwater, the yard may need agricultural pipe or French drains installed and connected into the existing stormwater system. This will help to capture any ground water and funnel it towards the stormwater pipe, to be carried away. This type of work should be assessed and completed by a licensed plumber, as stormwater connections need to be carried out by a licenced plumber for safety and compliance reasons.
The grading of the yard will also likely need some attention. Ideally, the surface should fall away from the house and direct water toward the existing drain. This may involve removing some soil, reshaping the ground and rebuilding the lawn profile with suitable fill and topsoil. Care will be needed around the house, fences and drainage points so the new levels do not create additional problems.
In saying this, I would avoid adding or removing soil or replacing the turf until the cause of the waterlogging has been identified and rectified, as this will help with surface water, but not ground water, which seems to be the bulk of the problem.
Allow me to tag our helpful members @Dave-1, @Noyade and @TedBear to see what they think.
Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
Jacob
Good morning @vdesaram
I suspect you have a cracked pipe, The way your pipes to the watertank go means they are fully charged when there is no rain. So when it rains you get the normal rain, plus the water from your roof that ends up overflowing or draining out that other top level pipe. If there is a blockage in the exit that would cause water to back up. If there is a crack in the pipe going to the top of the tank then all the water from the roof in the charged pipe would slowly leak out.
Id get your storm water pipes (exit from the tank) checked as @JacobZ has suggested. Id also look for cracks around that ground level (im talking about underground as water will seep to the lowest point) And also keep an eye on the water level in your water tank to see if its dropping after rain which would mean a leak somewhere as well.
As to your neighbors fake grass it would have sandy soil and then normal soil underneath so it would absorb rain but maybe not as much as a straight lawn.
Steps id follow…
Dave
Hi @vdesaram
My first question would be, is the water tank still in use? there looks like there is a hole in the side of it. Put a hose pipe in the top of the tank and run water into it and see if the water comes out anywhere, this will give us a clue if the water is escaping from the tank and where if it is.
Hi @JacobZ @Dave-1 @R4addZ
Thank you so much for the detailed suggestions.
I can confirm the water tank is in use, I put a hose on the top and the water seems to flow through into the storm water pit.
I also left out some important information, not sure if this has an impact but this property is a very recent build (completed in Aug 2025 and occupied in Dec 2025)
Would anyone know if the builder is responsible to inspect and rectify this issue? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
It still seems likely that the pipes in that location are playing some role in this. Even if water is making it to the stormwater pit, there could be a slow leak that is allowing water out into the ground.
I imagine the responsibility to inspect and rectify would be dependent on the terms of the building contract, but considering the recent nature of the work, it is definitely worth looking into.
If you are not seeing any water from the tank run off, it could well be the feed pipe from the roof and that isn't as easy to check.
