Wet soils can cause problems not only when building a house. Congested moisture is also undesirable in the garden, on meadows or orchards. Which drainage is appropriate depends on various factors. In some cases, approval is required.
How can I drain a wet soil?
To drain wet soil, you can create open or closed drainage systems that run at different depths. Local drainage systems, consisting of a hole lined with fleece and filled with sand and gravel, help with selective water accumulation.
Pre-planning
Since digging a ditch to drain precipitation affects water rights, most construction projects require approval. You should therefore draw up a precise plan and submit it to your responsible authority. Potential contacts are building authorities or authorities for nature and water protection.
Important Rules
Trenches created to drain the soil must have a gradient of at least one percent. It is important that the water flows into secure soil and that it has sufficient absorption volume. The ditch system must not have a direct connection to natural water cycles. To prevent the trench from collapsing, it must be supported and secured.
Recommended depths:
- Lawn: at least 30 to 50 centimeters
- Vegetable garden: about 50 to 80 centimeters
- Orchard: around 80 to 150 centimeters
Create drainage ditches
Both open and closed drainage systems are possible. If the channels remain open, there is a risk of contamination from leaves and other materials. Close-meshed grids protect the system from contamination. A gravel bed is used to increase the infiltration area. The width and depth of the trenches can be adjusted to the amount of rainfall. The discharge function can be regulated in this way.
If the corridors are to be closed, pipes or concrete are suitable. The drainage can be laid completely underground so that there is no aesthetic impact. The risk of pollution is low. Since the water cannot seep through the walls and floor in this variant, but is only drained away, septic tanks or collecting basins are ultimately necessary.
Spotual drainage
If water regularly accumulates in individual areas of the garden, you can drain these puddles using local drainage systems. Drill a hole about 50 centimeters deep in the appropriate places using an auger (€18.00 on Amazon). Line this with fleece and fill it with sand and gravel to just below ground level. The measure is completed with the spreading of topsoil.
