Soakaway problems - New soakaway appears flooded

[anfeardearg]

Hi,
Last March we noticed a sewerage smell and very soggy conditions directly above our soakaway. We contacted the local drainage 'expert' and he advised us to install a new soakaway as the old one 'was full'. At the time we (incorrectly) thought that all of our storm water etc was draining to this soakaway so he decided on a larger one. He completed the new soakaway (a trench approximately 100ft x 4ft x 3ft filled with drainage stone) with no problems and at reasonable cost. However he did encounter a spring (or some subterranean water source - we live in an area notorious for springs) while digging the soakaway. It filled about halfway up the lowest point of the soakaway at the time but as the weather was wet he said it would be fine. In fairness it has worked perfectly since then, but yesterday it rained all day and this morning the ground all along the path of the soakaway is flooded. Could it be that it isn't the new soakaway that is saturated (there is plastic sheeting on top of the drainage stone), just the ground above it?
I'm not going to lose any sleep over it but am curious....

Rgds Kieran

[Tony McC]

It's quite likely that the recent wet weather has elevated the already shallow water table, and that's why you're inundated at the moment.

The spring your man uncovered probably isn't helping matters and does suggest that the ground is less than ideal for relying on a soakaway. However, without having a geo-morphological assessment of the site, it's not possible to say just why you're having these problems, but my guess would be that there's an impermeable layer just below the spring line which results in a shallow water table and means that your ground is not suited to soakaways.

Is there no stream or ditch you could drain to?

[anfeardearg]

Thanks Tony,
There is a ditch that I can drain to but it would mean crossing a portion of my neighbours land to get to it. I must ask him how he's faring out with his drainage and we might reach a mutually beneficial situation.
Thanks again,
Kieran

[Tony McC]

You could offer to run a land drain from your own property, through that of your man next door, ad then outfall into the ditch.

It's would cost him nowt, and he gets the benefit of having his land drained and improved in the process.

sláinte

[anfeardearg]

True... I'll have a chat with him and see what he thinks.