Desperate drainage help! - Storm water drainage

[No idea]

hi everyone,

I need some urgent help! I have no clue in regards to drainage so any help would be much appreciated.

Background:
I live in a basement/ground floor flat which has direct access from the living room to the garden. The other day our flat nearly flooded due to lack of storm water drainage and now I urgently need to install something.Our garden has clay based soil and is relatively damp most days. As we live towards the bottom of a hill during heavy rain we get quick saturation.

Problem:
To access the garden from the living room we must step up (effectively concrete trough between living room patio door and step) onto a concrete path (slopes away from the flat) which has bricked edges 300mm high that holds in the raised flower beds. The path ends 5m from the access point and the garden slopes down into that point. When it rains water collects at the point (where the grass area meets the path). Once enough water has collected excess water runs (up) the slight slope into the (trough) and collects there until it floods our living room.

Solution:
I have thought about soakaways or putting in a channel drain at the collection point, however, I can't seem to find the manhole to connect the drain to. Does anyone have any ideas? As I have no idea (hence the name)!

Sorry for the long winded post but I am worried that when winter comes my flat will flood!

Thanks for any advice!

[lutonlagerlout]

how old is the flat ?
I have seen flats like this in north london but they are generally the old cellars of Georgian or Victorian houses
a linear drain sounds like a must but realistically you need someone clued up to come out and sort it out for you
LLL

[No idea]

Yes we live in effectively a cellar of an old Victorian house.

[Pablo]

yes you would be best advised to get a drainage contractor or a decent landscaper to sort it out. A soakaway will not work if you have saturated clay so some line of mains drainage Will be required. It may also be a good time to think about draining the lawn to.

[seanandruby]

how long ( roughly ) does the water take to go? isn't there any drainage pipes, manholes there at all? Is there anywhere you could pump to? Any photo's would be appreciated.

[mitzimad]

most of these victorean houses will have a soil pipe on the rear elevation so you could have a sump and pump arangement, im suprised theres no drainage there already