Drainage of existing concrete surface - How best to drain an expanse of concrete

[olcoulon]

The property I have has an inground pool directly behind it that is surrounded by impervious stencilled concrete.

The house and pool lie at the highest point on the property (mainly heavy clay soil) with a gradual slope at the front and to the back (the back garden drains into a drainage easement at the very rear of the property that becomes a small creek a little beyond the property boundary). There is a nature reserve behind the house so no neighbour to worry about there.

Unfortunately the pool and house are at about the same height and there is a very slight gully inbetween. As a result while the back half of the stencilled pool concrete drains onto the back lawn and then down the back garden the front half drains towards the house where the water tends to pool at the left hand corner of the wall that is directly against the stencilled pool concrete on the right of the house (looking toward the pool away from the house) and at the right corner of a stencilled concrete patio that is in between the lefthand part of the house and the stencilled concrete pool area (i.e. the lowest point of the slight gully is in the middle of the property). Regrettably the former owner failed to install a stormwater drain/gully there. The water as a result has no way to go but to 1) slowly seep through the cracks in the concrete and 2) pool until it reaches a sufficient height (around one inch or so) to crest the heighest point of the patio concrete and drain into a stormwater drain on the other side.

I think the best solution is to install a gully at this point along with maybe a dished channel that would drain into it against the wall abutting the concrete pool area. I would then look to connect the gully to the stormwater drain system (I was looking at paving the patio anyway so no real loss to have to cut through the stencilled concrete on the patio).

Is this an optimal solution or are there other solutions that could do the trick (e.g. a sump that I can pump out to the back garden)? Appreciate any advice.

[flowjoe]

You have pretty much got the right idea in installing a gully or linear drainage and running it to an existing storm system or soak-away (sub-soil permitting), if you are redoing the patio.

A sump pump will work but then you have to have a power feed and a certain amount of maintenance over the years.

Stick with gravity, it nearly always works