In article ,
Curiosity wrote:
Hi

I have recently visited my new bungalow which is nearing completion,
the builder is turfing the front garden but the rest of the garden is
up to me.

I was a bit dismayed to see that most of my rear garden is now a pond
about 3 to 4 inches deep. The plot has been carved out of a field used
for grazing sheep, I guess the ground has been compacted by the
building work and is accepting the runoff from the field.

It looks like I will have to hire a rotavator and put in some sort of
land drainage.

Any suggestions, I am guessing some sort of buried holy pipe leading
to a pit full of rubble (soakaway ?), I think the rainwater from the
roof is already going to a soakaway.

No, DON'T do that! This is a FAQ. Since you are having a bungalow
built, you have a case against the architect or builder if your
hypothesis is correct.

The first thing to do is to get the soil checked. If you are on
impermeable subsoil (e.g. clay), a soakaway will just fill up in
winter. You will need a drainage channel to somewhere that will
take the surplus.

If not, then you can get the BUILDER to provide a proper soakaway,
and do make sure that it is man enough for the job, which usually
means a LOT bigger than you think. Similarly, if the solution is
a drainage channel.

If you are on impermeable soil and there is nowhere to drain the
water to, the problem is SERIOUS. Get an expert in.

In all cases, you may well need a solicitor, and I would advise
talking to one, pronto.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.