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How to improve drainage around the house?

sandysmiles1969

I have recently bought a single story brick house built in 1987 in Browns Plains Queensland. It is a corner block sloping slightly downwards from the kerb and the ground surrounding it remains moist, specially on one side of the house, where the soil felt spongy. It hasn't been raining recently. There are couple of big trees and many other trees at the front side of the property.

The Storm water system was completely blocked with roots so i thought overflowing water from the storm water pipes bases was causing the soil to be wet. It was an old system designed to go to a rubble pit somewhere but was not on our property. So I got the whole storm water system redone as a charged system with outlet to the kerb.

When they were digging in this side for putting new storm water pipes this dug space started to get water in it overnight.

They have back filled the areas that were dug after installing the pipes, but after a week I have noticed that some dug areas are very soggy with water coming to the surface when pressed by foot.

How can I get rid of this water on this side of the property?

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EricL

Hello @sandysmiles1969

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your storm water system.

Please note that plumbing work needs to be completed by a licensed professional for safety and compliance.

I'm sorry to hear that you are still experiencing water ingress on your property. If you have consulted a plumber in regard to your charged system, I suggest asking them to kindly come back and investigate why you are still getting water accumulation in that particular spot.

In the meantime, I don't recommend making any changes to the layout of the pipework or placing any material over it as it is technically still under warranty. You could place a cardboard sign over the area so that no one accidently steps into the soft soil.

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1, @Nailbag, @Noyade and @DIY4Knuckleheds for their recommendations.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

Nailbag

Hi @sandysmiles1969

It really isn't possible to provide any direct additional advice to your situation via an online forum (in my opinion). As with @EricL I would be contacting the plumbing company to return to investigate as clearly the work intended to rectify hasnt worked.

Nailbag

Dave-1

Good Evening @sandysmiles1969

The first thing that went through my head when I saw those damp spots was that you have a leak in your water pipes (not sewage) Have you looked at your water meter when the water in the house is not using any water? No toilets refilling, no watering type deal?

If there is nothing going on with your water meter, have a close listen to it. Sometimes the old meters dont calculate too well so dont spin.

If it all seems happy have a look at your neighbor's water meter on the high side.

As @EricL has said I would be getting back the plumbers who did the stormwater as they really should have been looking into why. I had my old water pipe fracture a period of time after an excavator was on site repairing my sewage so there are a multitude of reasons. But there is an answer for that trench filling up so fast, you just need to find it.

Dave

sandysmiles1969

Thanks Dave, I did check the water meter it is new style with a small black toothed dial that indicates water use (leak) after the meter. There was a very slight movement every 25-40 secs, but then I noticed slowly drop drop drip at the laundry tap, so I did not give much thought to it as this would not cause so much water retention/leak.
I will have a look at my neighbours meter, but I will have to get them to turn everything off first.
My house is corner block on a down hill slope with water mains running possibly through the nature strip on the upside from the house.. could the council water be leaking under the nature strip underneath?

MitchellMc

Hi @sandysmiles1969,

It’s great to know that the blocked stormwater system has now been addressed.

Even with that issue resolved, this could be a naturally damp part of the property where groundwater or rainwater collects. The recently excavated trench, loose backfill and lack of grass could also be allowing water to collect or reach the surface more readily, so there might not necessarily be an active pipe leak.

If you suspect the water is coming from the mains or nature strip, I recommend contacting your water supplier so they can investigate. Otherwise, speak with the original plumber or a drainage plumber about identifying the water source and whether a suitable subsoil drainage system could collect it and discharge it legally into the stormwater system.

Please let me know if you have further questions.

Mitchell

Dave-1

Good Morning @sandysmiles1969

With that much water arriving overnight it really does make me think of a water leak somewhere. I would go with getting the original storm water people out as it wasnt there before so nothing before plus something now = a question of what is going on. You can always do what I have done before (twice so far as I have very dodgy water pipes) and that is to dig down slowly/gently to back trace where the water is coming from. :/

First step is to get the storm water people back out.

See their recommendation/fault finding

Dig a test pit away from where the storm water pipe is and see if water pools.

Back trace the water source if the hole fills with water

EDave

sandysmiles1969

Thanks dave and Mitchell,

That makes sense, i have contacted the contractor to check it out.

Appreciate you all Bunnings community !!